Los Angeles Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani voiced his support on Friday for health care workers in his homeland who are battling the coronavirus.
“I’m sure it’s hard for everyone. But many people including the healthcare workers are working hard right now to solve this,” Ohtani said in a statement translated by the Angels. “I’m hoping that this will help them. I think we can support each other through this, with kindness, appreciation and the thought of one another.”
The comments were in response to his donation to the Japan Mask Project crowdfunding effort to supply badly needed protective masks to health care workers confronting the highly infectious and deadly virus.
The project is being run in cooperation with Japan Heart, a volunteer-based international health care organization. On Friday, the body announced an online fundraiser to raise funds for personal protective equipment.
Ohtani contributed a signed bat to the charity auction being hosted on Yahoo Auction.
Longtime Japan international soccer player Yuto Nagatomo, who attended Friday’s news conference, donated a signed national team kit. Bidding for the auction was set to close Sunday evening.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times