Stuttgart – A world champion sews protective masks in her free time, other athletes do shopping or courier rides – and a lot of professional athletes have already donated a lot of money in the Corona crisis.
For many of them, the unusual time with seasons broken off or still pausing is also the time of good deeds. The German Press Agency has listed some of them.
“WE KICK CORONA”: National soccer players Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka founded the “We kick Corona” donation initiative in March and paid one million euros in private right from the start. In the meantime, the initiative has been supported by several athletes such as the national soccer player Alexandra Popp, tennis professional Alexander Zverev and Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann. According to the website, more than 3.7 million euros have already been raised in donations.
THE SEWER: Ski jumper Katharina Althaus sews protective masks during the corona break. «My neighbor is a doctor. She asked me if I had the time and desire to sew such protective masks. Mouthguards are delivered, but mostly not to the doctor’s office, »said the 23-year-old. Sewing has been a major hobby of the 2019 double world champion for some time anyway. «I sew everything. For example gym bags, dirndl aprons, blouses and so on. » And after looking around for suitable patterns on the Internet, she is now sewing protective masks. By the end, she had finished over 30.
COURIER RIDES: Snowboard world champion Selina Jörg supports Caritas with courier rides. According to her statements, the 32-year-old delivers food packages to people who cannot go shopping themselves because of a previous illness. “While we” only “have to struggle with the limitations of our everyday life, others struggle to survive,” wrote Jörg. “Seldom have I experienced so much gratitude as when I carry Ms. E. (at home for 9 weeks!) Her package to the 3rd floor and she asks me if I could come back next week.”
#SPENDEDEINETRIKOTNUMMER: This relief campaign was launched by second division footballer Simon Zoller. And there were already many celebrities who followed his call. World champion Roman Weidenfeller, Greens politician Cem Özdemir or Sky commentator Wolff-Christoph Fuss showed jerseys with their shirt numbers and then donated. «If you like, donate an amount equal to your back number, e.g. three euros for the number 3. Also with a zero behind, »wrote Zoller at the beginning of the campaign. In the meantime, there is a total in the lower five-figure range that is to flow to amateur clubs.
SUPERMARKTHELFER: Six VfL Wolfsburg soccer players were spread across two supermarkets in the city at the beginning of April – but not for shopping, but to store shelves. Captain Josuha Guilavogui or midfielder Maximilian Arnold put frozen fish in the freezer or chips on the right shelf. “This is a very important action for us because we want to be role models,” said Guilavogui.
SHOPPING AID: Other footballers had similar ideas. However, they did not give shelves but did some shopping for elderly people or gift boxes for nursing staff. In Grünwald near Munich, Red Cross helpers got support from Javi Martinez from FC Bayern during a tour. On Instagram, the willingness of the Red Cross Grünwald showed two pictures, in which the Spanish world and European champion in the blue jogging suit, as well as gloves and a face mask, can be seen, a shopping basket in her arms. FC Augsburg professionals distributed beverage crates to nursing staff from the region free of charge.
EASTER PACKAGES: Fortuna Dusseldorf employees came up with something special for their Ü75 members. 19 helpers from the office of the Bundesliga club and the youth performance center packed various foods and then distributed these Easter packages to around 280 older members. The seniors could look forward to rice, pasta, chocolate, carrots, an apple, an Easter egg, a greeting, and a Fortuna mouthguard.
#PLAYERSTOGETHER: The football professionals of the English Premier League have not yet been able to agree on a salary waiver. To do this, they started a joint initiative to raise money for the British health service NHS. Numerous football stars published a statement on their channels on social media. The #PlayersTogether initiative is primarily intended to support the people who are at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic.
