To aid with the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Louisiana, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, plan to give $5 million to the state. Brees made the announcement Thursday on social media.
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“Brittany and I are committing $5,000,000 to the State of Louisiana in 2020. The priority now is helping our communities get through this tough time,” he wrote. “After considerable research and conversations with local organizations, we will be mobilizing our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need.
“Let’s all do our part, maintain hope, and get through this together.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-M7SeCnIcP/?igshid=fsmdv7nxi9f4
The 41-year-old future Hall of Famer, who last week signed a two-year, $50 million contract to stay in New Orleans, joined the Saints in 2006 and led the franchise to its first and only Super Bowl title in 2009-10. He’s a beloved son in Louisiana.
He signed with New Orleans as a free agent in 2006 because the Lord put it on his heart to help a city that had just endured Hurricane Katrina, which was the most destructive and costliest storm in U.S. history.
“We were just looking at the sheer devastation and just saying, ‘I’m not going to trust what I see with my eyes here, because my eyes are telling me not to come here. And yet, my heart, my soul, the Lord is telling me that this is our calling,'” Brees told Sports Spectrum. “It’s not about just coming to play football and be a part of the resurgence of a football team or an organization, but it’s about the resurrection, rebirth of a city and we can be a part of that.”
When Brees accepted Jesus Christ into his heart on his 17th birthday, he “knew that there was something bigger planned for me than just sports.” He’s lived that out ever since arriving in New Orleans.
Brees’ adopted city has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, there are 2,305 coronavirus cases in the state as of Thursday, and 83 residents have died.
The Saints’ head coach, Sean Payton, was the first reported COVID-19 diagnosis in the NFL. Payton said Wednesday that he had been cleared after self-quarantining.
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