Kyrie Irving offers gift of $323,000 to Share A Meal on his birthday
On his birthday on Monday, Nets star Kyrie Irving pledged a gift of $323,000 to the Share A Meal program designed to distribute meals to underserved communities in the New York City metro area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Irving made the announcement on his Instagram account, thanking his followers for their support and “birthday love” on 3/23, linking the date to the amount of his donation.
Irving partnered with several companies and organizations as part of the campaign, including Lineage Logistics, the world’s largest cold storage company, and Feeding America, which is America’s largest hunger relief organization and is sponsoring the Share A Meal Program. Irving also is working with local partner City Harvest, which is New York’s largest hunger relief and food rescue program.
In his IG post, Irving wrote: “Seeing the effect of COVID-19 reach our loved ones, our schools, our jobs and access to food has really impacted me. I am excited to partner with @feedingamerica and @lineagelogistics to launch the Share A Meal campaign to help marginalized communities get the food resources they require during this time, and to work with our local partner @cityharvestnyc to distribute 250k meals to my neighbors in need across the NY area.
“In addition to that, I am donating $323k to Feeding America and @lineagelogistics will match $200k of what we raise together. I am asking my fans, friends, family and partners to join me in helping our communities by donating at the link in my bio. Thank you to everyone on the front line working to keep us all safe, healthy and fed. Together we can change the world one small gesture at a time.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has designated City Harvest as an essential service, and it has stepped up efforts to rescue and deliver more food to those in need. Lineage Logistics also has partnered with Warriors star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha and their foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., in a campaign that hopes to provide 100 million meals. Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman, who starred at Patchogue-Medford High School, is yet another pro athlete who recently announced his “COVID-19 Emergency Response” program in conjunction with his HDMH foundation to support Food Bank for New York City and Long Island Cares.
Those interested in joining the Share A Meal campaign and supporting Feed America and City Harvest in conjunction with Irving may visit http://feedingamerica.org/kyrie-covid for more information.