Atlanta Braves Open $1M Relief Fund To Help Stadium Workers

ATLANTA, GA — No one knows when the 2020 season for Major League Baseball will start, leaving stadium workers out of work for weeks. Concerns for the coronavirus spreading has halted sports and more. The Atlanta Braves have offered to help its ballpark staff through a $1 million relief fund during this period of uncertainty. The team is joining 29 other MLB teams who have each set up $1 million relief funds.

"We are in an uncertain time and want to help our gameday staff who truly make Truist Park feel like home,” said chairman Terry McGuirk in a news release Tuesday. “Our gameday staff are part of our family and they are the reason for our friendly and welcoming atmosphere. So, in this time of need, we want to do our part and help them.”

The relief fund will also help stadium workers at the Braves’ minor league affiliates:
Gwinnett Stripers, Mississippi Braves, Rome Braves and Danville Braves.

Spring training staff at CoolToday Field will be paid, too, since the rest of spring training games were canceled.

Plans are still being finalized, but the Braves say they will reach out directly to the affected staff with more details.

Fans can help the stadium workers by making a donation online.

Globally, more than 205,000 people have been infected and more than 8,000 people have died from the COVID-19, Johns Hopkins reported Wednesday. Of that total, more than 81,000 confirmed cases are in China, while the entire United States has 6,500 confirmed cases as of Wednesday. Fifty-five deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak.

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