Coronavirus In Minnesota: Adam Thielen, Chad Greenway And Other Athletes Stepping Up In COVID-19 Fight
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The sports world tends to rally whenever crisis strikes, and the Twin Cities sports scene is no different.
The latest to join the relief effort include Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway, plus the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx and the Minnesota Twins.
Thielen's foundation is supporting Second Harvest Heartland, as he says it aligns with his mission to help support kids and their development.
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"Obviously, with both my wife and I being from here, we want to give back to an area that's done so much for us," Thielen said.
Greenway's foundation is also supporting Second Harvest, in addition to Sheridan Story.
"Right now, there are so many people that are losing jobs, getting cut hours, losing benefits," Greenway said. "Now kids are at home, you've got more mouths to feed, more meals to prepare … and that feeling of just helplessness as a parent, and then as a kid, not even talking about kids that are homeless."
The Twins joined the other Major League Baseball franchises in providing $1 million in financial aid for part-time staff, who directly depend on game-day operations to get paid.
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"We're trying to do the right thing by so many dedicated men and women," Twins President and CEO Dave St. Peter said. "It's not only the right thing to do. In our mind, it's the only thing to do."
The Timberwolves and Lynx organizations echoes the sentiment, pledging the same amount for the same reason. This comes on the heels of Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns donating $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic to assist with COVID-19 testing.
"A lot of these folks have been with us as an extension of our family for years," Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson said.
All four of these men note that Minnesota's sports community thrives because of the fans and staff who support them.
Here are other sports-related ways to donate: