Today would typically be a day where the entire sporting world would start to focus on the state of Georgia for the 2020 Masters. For golf fans, the good news is that there will still be a 2020 Masters Golf Tournament that has been rescheduled for later in the year. For all of us, the greater news is that we continue to see the ingenuity and generosity of Americans, as well as those around the world, coming together to help combat COVID-19. We are also starting to see signs of a turning point and potentially light at the end of the tunnel for some regions in the world. We hope all of our clients are staying well and invite you to take a brief break to peruse our latest installment of “Good News” for the week.
Atlanta Community Stepping Forward:
- The Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which is a partnership between the United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, has already distributed $8.7 million to non-profits to help the region weather the unprecedented health and economic crisis.
- Tyler Perry, Atlanta media mogul, paid the grocery bills during senior hour this Wednesday morning at 44 Kroger supermarkets in metro Atlanta and 29 more in his hometown of New Orleans.
- Sara Blakely, local business leader and co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, is donating $5 million to female entrepreneurs who need assistance amid the COVID-19 crisis.
- Delta Airlines is donating 200,000 pounds of food to various charities.
Business Leaders and Celebrities Around the Country Stepping Forward:
- Bill Gates and his foundation are accelerating efforts to build factories for 7 of the most promising vaccines currently in development.
- Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square and Twitter, has recently said he will set aside $1 billion in equity to help support relief efforts for COVID-19.
- Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is donating $100 million to American food banks.
- 17 celebrities have mobilized to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
- John Krasinski has launched a YouTube show, “Some Good News,” that delivers sometimes touching, sometimes funny stories of people coming together to support each other. The linked episode features a special surprise performance by the original Hamilton cast via Zoom for a young fan that had to miss her much anticipated trip to see the Broadway show.
Testing and Vaccine Progress Moving Forward:
- In Atlanta, a public-private partnership between CVS and government officials has led to the first free, drive-thru COVID-19 testing in the area.
- Numerous companies are tackling vaccines, treatments and tests around the country.
The Other Side of the Rainbow:
- Regions in Asia, including Wuhan, China, are gradually starting the process of easing lock downs and reopening their economy.
- An Albany, GA hospital celebrates recovered COVID-19 patients.
- A leading model now estimates tens of thousands fewer COVID-19 deaths by summer.
We have really enjoyed hearing from you all as we navigate these times together. We hope everyone continues to remain safe and well.