F1 teams are "working long hours to accelerate the production of much-needed ventilators, and across athletics many sporting goods manufacturers are repurposing their factory floors and lending their equipment, material and know-how in a widening team effort to fight Covid-19." Bauer now is "turning out larger plastic face shields, similar to welding masks, to be used by hospital workers." New Balance is "making cloth face masks for doctors, nurses and hospital staff." N.C.-based TheMagic5, which produces goggles for competitive swimmers, has been "sending custom-built goggles at cost ($15) to several dozen emergency medical workers, nurses and doctors in New York" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/8).
PANTHERS GIVING SUPPORT: NHL Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky "pledged $100,000 to cover the salaries of the 200-plus part-time workers at the BB&T Center." After Bobrovsky made his donation, teammates "jumped on board" and team Owner Vinnie Viola "pledged to cover the rest and to make the employees whole until they can get back to work." Bobrovsky also is "working with the Panthers' Foundation to equip first responders and medical workers with N95 masks" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 4/7). Meanwhile, the Panthers are hosting a "Territory Trot Virtual 5K" to support the club's foundation and its relief efforts around COVID-19. All participants will be asked to pay a minimum of $10 as they run through their neighborhoods, yards and homes April 17-20. The Panthers are encouraging fans to share videos of their run using the hashtag #TerritoryTrot, so they can re-distribute the content across social media. Baptist Health South Florida is sponsoring the health and charitable initiative (Mark J. Burns, THE DAILY).
GETTING AN EXTRA PUSH: The NHL Kings, barely a week after the NHL season was suspended last month, "launched a 'Blood and Pucks' initiative, offering two free tickets to games next season to any healthy fan" who goes into Children's Hospital Los Angeles' clinic to donate blood. In-house donations from CHLA's more than 5,000 employees have "helped, but so too has the Kings' doubling-down on donation efforts." While the hospital "doesn't track exactly how many walk-ins are a result of the Kings' marketing efforts, the anecdotal evidence has been overwhelming" (L.A. TIMES, 4/8).
STEPPING UP: Falcons Owner Arthur Blank created a $1M "emergency relief fund for associates and gameday workers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium." The fund will "provide assistance for the venue's event-based associates, including those employed by third-party companies Levy Restaurants and SAFE Management." Blank, who also owns Atlanta United, "already pledged to pay all of his hourly workers." In addition, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is distributing $5.4M to "organizations in Georgia and Montana for immediate and long-term assistance" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 4/7).
EVERYONE DOING THEIR PART: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar "provided 900 pairs" of safety goggles for UCLA Health workers and "another 900 pairs for those working on the front lines at Scripps Health in San Diego" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/8)....Sabres LW Jeff Skinner over the past week made "three separate $53,000 donations -- a reference to his jersey number, 53 -- to Covid-19 related causes in Buffalo" (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/8)....Astros P Joe Smith and his wife, Turner Sports' Allie LaForce, yesterday "engineered the delivery of 350 to 500 meals" to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/8)....Austin FC collaborated on a group effort to get meals from Torchy's Tacos, Emojis Grilled Cheese Bar and P. Terry’s Burger Stand "delivered directly to the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis." The deliveries served "about 1,000 workers at St. David's HealthCare facilities" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4/8)....Falcons DT Grady Jarrett is "providing meals to first responders in the city of Atlanta and Rockdale County throughout April." He will "provide nearly 5,000 meals by the end of this month" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/8).
CAMPUS CONTRIBUTIONS: Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann and AD Gene Smith are "combining to donate $35,000 per month from April through August to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank's COVID-19 Emergency Fund." Each $1 donated "results in more than $9 of groceries purchased," so the "total donation of $175,000" will result in more than $1.5M in groceries (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/8)....Univ. of Oregon football coach Mario Cristobal and his family yesterday "sent the Eugene Police Department boxed lunches to the Eugene Police Department" (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/8).
