Michael Rubin, Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball are donating jersey fabric to the fight against COVID-19
With the NBA, NHL, NASCAR and other major sports leagues and sporting events suspended or canceled, professional athletes are using their platforms to facilitate financial support for arena workers and those affected by COVID-19 across the nation. Each day, we will feature a philanthropic effort taking place in the sports world.
Michael Rubin is co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, as well as the executive chairman for Fanatics, MLB’s official jersey manufacturer.
In other words, Rubin is familiar with sports uniforms.
So when he had an idea to put that uniform knowledge to good use, things kicked into motion pretty quickly…
(Thread):
Woke up in the middle of the night last week with idea of converting our @Fanatics factory in PA that makes official @MLB jerseys into a facility that makes much needed masks and gowns and then donating them to help fight this horrendous virus. pic.twitter.com/r6FAxUdlgH
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
…especially when Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro were all in.
This past weekend PA Governor @GovernorTomWolf and Attorney General @PAAttorneyGen each called me saying they desperately needed help getting masks and gowns to the frontline workers across PA.
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
Now, as of Thursday, Rubin’s plan has taken flight, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is onboard.
Fast forward to today – @Fanatics and @MLB have halted production of all MLB jerseys and instead using that same fabric we make the jerseys with to make masks and gowns!! We have approx 100 associates working (extra distanced and in a very clean and safe environment of course) pic.twitter.com/E8ewI0REfn
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
and plan to make one million masks and gowns then immediately donate and distribute them to hospitals and emergency management personnel across PA with the goal of extending this to NJ and NY – the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the US!!
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
According to MLB.com, Fanatics has immediately put a stop to all jersey manufacturing:
Fanatics has halted jersey assembly, instead using its 360,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Easton, Pa., to create up to 1 million masks and gowns, with plans to produce these items as long as the need exists. The distribution of the equipment has begun throughout the state of Pennsylvania and will extend across New Jersey and New York, which has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States.
Thursday was supposed to represent Opening Day of the 2020 MLB season. Instead, it represented a moment for Major League Baseball to turn its attention to the greatest task at hand.
Thanks to @MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for not only agreeing to halting production of MLB jerseys, but also doing everything possible to make this happen as quickly as possible!!
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
Shapiro also thanked Rubin and Manfred for their efforts to support the state of Pennsylvania and beyond.
Sports give us hope & community. And they still can—even when we aren’t playing the games.
To @MichaelGRubin & the amazing PA workers at @Fanatics: thank you, thank you. And thank you to Rob Manfred & @MLB for your commitment. We’ll make it through together. pic.twitter.com/1M01ETvFoq
— Josh Shapiro (@JoshShapiroPA) March 26, 2020
While Rubin sent his regards to the factory workers who are now playing their part in helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
And thanks to our incredible associates who raised their hands and wanted to be part of the effort to help the frontline heroes in this war stem the spread of the virus!! pic.twitter.com/GcZXTTcraq
— Michael Rubin (@MichaelGRubin) March 26, 2020
