Noah Graham/Getty Images

Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps, More Donate Items to COVID-19 Relief Auction

Paul Kasabian

The sports world has come together to provide money, meals, medical equipment and other essential items in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Per ESPN's Wayne Drehs, the latest example comes via the "Athletes for Relief" program, which involves athletes and sports personalities donating items that will be raffled off to people who make a $25 minimum donation.

All auction proceeds will go to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's COVID-19 Response Fund, with the goal to provide funds to organizations such as Feeding America, Healthcare Ready, Meals on Wheels and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

Per Drehs, "the CDP works regularly in all disasters to help the philanthropic community donate as efficiently as possible, vetting the programs it works with to ensure the greatest impact on effected communities."

Octagon executive vice president David Schwab helped come up with the idea and said the following to Drehs:

"Right away, so many athletes were asking how could they help. What could they do?" Schwab said. "This was a way for them to do something together. Our goal is simple: to provide as much relief as we can for COVID-19. Every day we all wake up thinking about the people who are sick and the spread of this disease. And this will help those people."

Athletes involved include Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, USWNT and Washington Spirit midfielder Rose Lavelle, 23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps and 2019 U.S. Open tennis champion Bianca Andreescu.

As far as how the process works, anyone can go to the Athletes Relief website and donate $25 minimum to their item of choice, like a signed Tony Hawk skateboard. That donation enters a person automatically into a raffle for that item at the end of the program, which will go through May 1.

Per Drehs, more than $63,000 has been raised thus far.

   

Read 3 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)