Major League Baseball may have suspended spring training and postponed Opening Day, but that doesn’t mean the organization is pausing its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 has caused officials to close schools and require many to work from home. However, there are a large number of children who depend on schools to provide meals. Due to the closings, there is concern whether these kids will have food to eat.
MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) made it clear in a statement Monday that the organizations will team up to help provide meals for these individuals.
— MLB (@MLB) March 16, 2020
MLB’s full statement reads:
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) today announced a joint donation of $1 million to help fight hunger as a result of school closures and quarantines stemming from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The donation will be split evenly among Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America.
Feeding America will distribute funds to local member food banks in high need areas across the United States to help feel children and families impacted by current, and potentially extended, school closures and other disruptions as a result of the epidemic. Meals on Wheels America will use the emergency funds to boost the organizational capacity of the network to provide in-home meals to vulnerable senior citizens during this time of crisis.
This joint donation represents an ongoing commitment by MLB and the MLBPA to provide support to causes that assist vulnerable populations.
Professional athletes have begun stepping up to help with this concern across the nation and among various leagues. Texans defensive end J.J. Watt donated $350,000 to the Houston Food Bank on Sunday. Meanwhile, a number of athletes have pledged to help pay employees who work in arenas while leagues have suspended play.
