Brooklyn Native Larry King Spearheads Hospital Food Delivery

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn native and longtime television personality Larry King were among Friar’s Club members who arranged the delivery of meals to frontline workers at Maimonides Medical Center on Tuesday to recognize the efforts of medical professionals working to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The 150 meals were provided by L&B Spumoni Gardens – a local eatery King, now 86, grew up around the corner from and were donated by The Friar’s Club, of which King has served as the dean of since 2013.

The meals, which consisted of lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, were picked up at Spumoni Gardens by members of the Emergency Task Force of the Diocese of Brooklyn and delivered to doctors and nurses who have been providing hospital care for coronavirus patients. King has helped to spearhead the Friar’s Club philanthropic efforts and has, along with other representatives from the organization, have been looking for ways to lend a hand in New York’s ongoing efforts to combat the global pandemic. King coordinated the effort between the Friar's Club and the restaurant in preparation for Tuesday's delivery.

In addition to the food delivery donated by the Friar’s Club, the Diocese task force donated 1,000 surgical masks for frontline workers during Tuesday’s delivery.

“My heart will always be in New York and on behalf of my fellow Friars, we wanted to express our enormous gratitude to the men and women who are on the front lines, at great personal risk to themselves, to care for and support their fellow New Yorkers battling this terrible disease,” King said in a statement Tuesday.

King added: “I also want to express how touched I am by the volunteers at the Diocese of Brooklyn for stepping up to the plate to help make this delivery happen.”

According to Dr. Lawrence Haines, an emergency room physician at the hospital, said that frontline workers often do not have time to consider when they will eat next as the coronavirus-related workload continues to mount.

“Gestures such as a hot, delicious meal in the middle of a shift go a long way towards providing needed sustenance and a psychological boost to know that so many fellow New Yorkers are thinking of us,” Haines said.