ATLANTA — There may be no sporting events happening soon, but Atlanta sports figures are looking for ways to help the community during the coronavirus outbreak.
Matt Ryan and his wife Sarah donated $100,000 Tuesday to help the Giving Kitchen and Atlanta Food Bank. The donation will be split between the two organizations, according to Ryan’s spokesperson.
“We felt like Giving Kitchen is a unique and cool organization that has helped different restaurants, people in that industry. We thought it would create awareness for one of the industries that’s going to struggle during this time,” Ryan told ESPN.
“The Atlanta food bank is obviously another organization that does a great job. Certainly, there is a great need for funding there. It made sense for us to try and make a small impact.”
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Many restaurants and bars are closing or moving to a delivery and to-go model around metro Atlanta. Ryan expressed his concerns for workers in the restaurant and food industry.
“These places aren’t getting their typical income, so hopefully this helps the workers get through a little bit of a difficult time. We’re not sure how long this is going be or how slow it’s going to be during this time. Hopefully, we can help people get through the next week or two to help cover their bases,” Ryan said in his ESPN interview.
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During this unprecedented time, every bit of help goes a long way. I will be donating to the Atlanta Community Food Bank...
Posted by Matt Ryan on Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Matty Ice is the latest Atlanta sports figure who is reaching out to the community.
Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein spoke Monday with Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler, who committed to paying all the team’s employees and workers at State Farm Arena.
“We absolutely wanted to be sure we could take care of our employees to the best of our ability. Both full-time and part-time. We made arrangements beforehand,” Ressler said. “In times like this, you are supposed to take care of all of the folks that work for you.”
Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank is also making sure team and Mercedes-Benz Stadium employees will get paid during this time.
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[CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK: Here are ways you can give back in metro Atlanta]
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