CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 10: Jason Heyward #22 of the Chicago Cubs stands in the dugout during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 10, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward has made a $100,000 donation to University of Chicago Medicine to help frontline workers who have experienced hardships while helping combat the spread of coronavirus.
The funds will also be used to help expand contact tracing efforts on Chicago’s South Side.
“Through this donation, I want to help ease the personal burdens on our healthcare heroes and support efforts aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, especially in vulnerable communities hit hard by the virus,” Heyward said in a statement.
Approximately half of the donation will go to the Healthcare Heroes Fund, which “helps offset hardship costs for frontline healthcare workers, such as childcare and eldercare,” according to the press release.
The rest of the money will go to contact tracing efforts on the South Side of Chicago, helping to interview COVID-19 patients and to determine whether they have exposed others to the coronavirus.
“Jason’s gift will help us provide needed care to people disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” Brenda Battle, VP of University of Chicago Medicine’s Urban Health Initiative, said in a statement. “This support is critical to our efforts to prevent further spread in the community.”
