New Jersey Devils co-owner Michael Rubin is aiding in the fight against coronavirus by using the Fanatics factory to make masks and gowns.
As coronavirus turns the sports world upside down, Michael Rubin is stepping up to help out those working on the front lines of this pandemic.
The part-owner of the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers is converting his Fanatics factory in Pennsylvania into a place to manufacture masks and gowns for healthcare workers. He announced the move with a Twitter thread, showing how the facility was using jersey fabric to create potentially life-saving masks and gowns for healthcare workers.
(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 (@michaelrubin) March 26, 2020
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 (@michaelrubin) March 26, 2020
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 (@michaelrubin) March 26, 2020
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 (@michaelrubin) March 26, 2020
Credit to Rubin for stepping up at a time when hospitals are begging for more supplies. As Rubin states, his plan is to begin distributing the masks and gowns to hospitals in Pennsylvania, with plans to extend their reach into New Jersey and eventually New York.
The New York City area has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday afternoon, there were over 37,000 coronavirus cases in New York State and 385 people had passed away from the virus. These are the largest numbers—by far—of any state in the country.
New Jersey is second on the list behind New York in terms of cases with 4,402. The New York/New Jersey area is being decimated by COVID-19 and Rubin’s assistance to healthcare workers could not come at a better time.
It’s worth noting that Rubin’s ownership group recently caught flack for moving to reduce pay for Sixers and Devils employees during the shutdown. They took so much heat for it that they reversed the decision within 24 hours.
While the sports world struggles without MLB’s Opening Day, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the NBA Playoffs, there are clearly far bigger problems facing the world.
Hopefully, we are able to go back to a period of normalcy sooner rather than later.
