Brewers LF Ryan Braun has committed $100,000 to help pay ballpark workersGETTY IMAGES
Some of the Brewers' "most familiar faces are stepping up to the plate" individually after the team last month announced it would be establishing a $1M fund to provide financial assistance to Miller Park game-day employees. LF Ryan Braun was the "first to commit with a $100,000 contribution" to the initial $1M fund and longtime radio announcer Bob Uecker "followed suit with $50,000." RF Christian Yelich, CF Lorenzo Cain, P Corey Knebel, P Josh Lindblom and P Brent Suter also are "taking part for a total pledge of $300,000" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/14).
NBA SUPPLIES: Rockets G Russell Westbrook is "purchasing 650 laptop computers to help better facilitate online learning for children in Houston" (USA TODAY, 4/14)....Pistons Owner Tom Gores and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan yesterday announced that Gores has "purchased 100,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) masks that will be donated to city police officers, firefighters, bus drivers and other city employees." The Pistons organization also has "donated $375,000 to Forgotten Harvest and picked up and delivered 15,000 PPE ICU gowns from the Cleveland Clinic to Henry Ford Health System" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/14).
ORGANIZATIONAL DONATIONS: The Chargers made a "donation of $100,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 4/14)....The Predators have raised $2.7M that "will be distributed to those impacted" by the coronavirus pandemic as well as the recent "tornadoes that tore through Middle Tennessee" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/14)....NASCAR and Daytona Int'l Speedway "started providing more than 700 complimentary meals to local frontline and essential employees" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 4/14)....The Reds yesterday launched their $1M relief fund to "help eligible gameday staff." The club said that "eligible employees" are '19 gameday staff employed by the Reds and rehired for the '20 season, "along with staff from facilities service provider SBM who have been identified as eligible by SBM" (CINCINNATI INQUIRER, 4/14).
GOLF AID: The PGA of America, with "assists from other golf organizations, is stepping up to help with its establishment of a Golf Emergency Relief Fund." The organization is pledging $5M to start the fund (GOLFDIGEST.com, 4/13)....Golfers John Daly, Jimmy Walker, Michelle Wie West and others will "participate in the Chipping All-In charity poker tournament Thursday to raise money for the MGM Resorts’ Employee Emergency Grant Fund" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/14).
MORE GIVING: Syracuse men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim and his Boeheim Foundation recently "gave $50,000 to Mercy Works, an organization that is feeding Syracuse city schoolchildren" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 4/14)....Falcons DE Dante Fowler will "donate $100,000 to the #ATLStrong fund" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 4/14).
