New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has committed $1 million towards creating a relief fund for service industry workers, establishing the Gayle Benson Community Assistance Fund. This fund will provide financial assistance for those workers that need it with the New Orleans-area tourism economy suffering due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Furthermore, Benson has implemented the Arena Assistance Fund. This program will ensure that all arena workers affected by the suspension of NBA league play will still receive wages for the remaining postponed games.
These actions comes after multiple NBA stars such as Zion Williamson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Blake Griffin and others have committed portions of their own salaries to ensure arena workers are looked after during this unconventional time. While many NBA owners have been quiet on this front (aside from Mark Cuban, who immediately identified a need to assist his employees who were suddenly out of work), others have stepped up to help the less fortunate. Here’s hoping Benson’s actions will spur her peers to action.
