Coronavirus news: MLB, MLBPA announce $1 million donation to help fight hunger after school closures

MLB and the MLBPA have teamed up to donate $1 million to fight hunger during the coronavirus pandemic. Schools across the country have closed.

In light of the recent closures of public schools across the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus, MLB and the MLBPA have decided to donate $1 million to fight hunger.

Millions of students rely on their respective schools to give them at least one of their meals for the day. The closures will leave them without any source of alimentation through the first part of the day — an issue several athletes have stepped up to address.

MLB didn’t fall far behind on this initiative:

“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 official statement read. “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 feed 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.”

Athletes like NBA star Stephen Curry have taken to donating to schools and organizations that provide food for children within their markets:

Oakland is closing schools bc of COVID-19. We support this decision but are concerned a/b the 18,000+ kids that rely on school for 2+ meals daily. @eatlearnplay is donating to @ACCFB to ensure every child has access to the food they need. Join us & donate https://t.co/nDqF7OoO0Z pic.twitter.com/nFp0w1eFqH

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 14, 2020

MLB and the MLBPA are joining those efforts with a sum of their own, hoping it can help these institutions thrive, despite the economic freeze that awaits the United States as it fights the spread of this coronavirus.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred just announced the indefinite delay of the start of the regular season due to this pandemic.