B.A.A. Donating $100,000 To Boston Resiliency Fund, Giving Medical Supplies, Food To Local Agencies
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Marathon provides some wonderful stories of resiliency every April. That will not stop in 2020 even though the famous race has been postponed until September.
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced Friday that it will contribute $100,000 to the Boston Resiliency Fund, which provides essential services to Boston residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also be donating race-related medical supplies and food to local agencies.
"The coronavirus crisis is affecting everyone in ways that we are only just beginning to understand," said Tom Grilk, Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. "As a member of the Boston community, we wanted to help the people and organizations in need by making this donation to the Boston Resiliency Fund."
The donation will go to organizations providing essential services, including first responders and healthcare workers, and seeks to support the immediate needs of populations most affected by COVID-19.
Since the race was postponed last month, the B.A.A. has worked with local agencies to help with their pressing needs, sending race-related medical supplies and food. Those items include medical and non-medical grade gloves, medical grade face shields, face masks, IV fluid bags, hand sanitizer, antiseptic, thermometer covers, nebulizer tubing sets, and ponchos that were donated to local organizations.
The majority of the supplies have been donated to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) through the COVID-19 Donation Program. Supplies have also been donated to Boston Emergency Medical Services, Massachusetts State Police, and St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester.
In addition, the B.A.A. donated nearly 30,000 bags of Terra Chips, initially donated by JetBlue for finishers of the Boston Marathon, to the Greater Boston Food Bank.
The 2020 Boston Marathon has been postponed until Sept. 14.
