How the NJ Devils, Prudential Center are helping the community fight coronavirus

The New Jersey Devils are doing their part to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Co-owners and managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer made two significant six-figure donations over the last few days, with the latest coming Tuesday to RWJBarnabas, a team partner of the Devils.

The donation was made to the Emergency Response Fund, which helps battle the medical and community challenges brought by this pandemic. Hospitals around the country have been short on personal protective equipment (PPE) as coronavirus has spread like wildfire and this donation helped secure funds that will go towards equipment for patients, like ventilators, and safety equipment like N95 respirators and surgical masks, gloves, gowns, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and eye protection for the more than 35,000 employees in the RWJBarnabas Health system. 

“We are incredibly thankful and appreciative for the generous donation from Josh Harris, David Blitzer and the New Jersey Devils,” RWJBarnabas Health president and CEO Barry H. Ostrowsky said in a statement. “Our team members are extremely dedicated and selfless. It is our obligation to ensure the best protection as they perform their truly heroic work and this donation will help to provide them with the resources necessary to stay safe and care for our patients.”

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Prudential Center, which is owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, was able to assist the group as well. Monday, the sports and entertainment venue liquidated all supplies and the Devils donated 7,000 pairs of gloves, 10,000 hand sanitizers, soap and other sanitizing supplies.

Should a large-scale temporary medical facility need to be erected in northern New Jersey, the group has made it known that Prudential Center is available for use.

Friday, the Harris, Blitzer and the Devils made a donation to a Newark food relief program that provides assistance to families affected by COVID-19. ShopRite gift cards will be provided to families in need and shopping assistance is made available through this fund as well. 

Prudential Center’s hourly and event staff workers are being supported through May 15. Initially, the HBSE promised compensation through the end of the NHL’s regular season and for all postponed events in the month of March. Other assistance may be made available as the group continues to navigate the economic impact of the pandemic. 

HBSE’s philanthropic efforts are based on four pillars: Education, medical, food, and support. So far, the group has made significant contributions to groups representing three of those four pillars and efforts are being made to see how to provide some sort of community aid when it comes to education. The group is also making contributions in Camden, where the group is headquartered, and Philadelphia, home to their other North American team in their portfolio, the 76ers. 

We’re nowhere near the end of the line with this pandemic and the economic impacts continue to intensify. The NHL has extended player isolation to April 15 and the city of Toronto, where the NHL has offices, has banned public events through June 30. The likelihood of a return to normalcy seems to be further and further each day, which is why the Devils, the 76ers and HBSE are continuing to see how they can aid the communities that their teams call home. 

Abbey Mastracco is the Devils beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Devils analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app. 

Email: mastraccoa@northjersey.com Twitter: @abbeymastracco