Drew Brees, Wife Brittany Donating $5M to State of Louisiana for COVID-19 Relief

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, pledged $5,000,000 to the state of Louisiana to help with the coronavirus pandemic.

The future Hall of Famer explained on Instagram how the funds will be allocated:

"After considerable research and conversations with local organizations, we will be mobilizing our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need."

Brees has become an adopted son of Louisiana since signing with the Saints in 2006, and his bond with New Orleans strengthened as the city recovered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Brees echoed that sentiment in a message to reporters in October 2018:

"I love this city. I love this fanbase. I love the Superdome. I love the environment that our fans create on a weekly basis when we play here. There's really no fanbase like it. Obviously, the bond that we share as a team with our fanbase is unlike any other, I think, in all of professional sports. They're just so passionate, and this is as much for them as it is for anybody."

New Orleans has been significantly impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

The city and local businesses count on tourism to generate revenue, money that has all but dried up with orders for people to self-quarantine and avoid large crowds. According to NBC News' Elisha Fieldstadt, the celebration of Carnival and Mardi Gras between January and February may have accelerated the spread of COVID-19.

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,795 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 65 deaths. Orleans Parish accounts for nearly half (827) of the total cases.

Saints head coach Sean Payton confirmed earlier this month he had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the first reported diagnosis in the NFL. Payton said Wednesday on WWL Radio's Sports Talk with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic he had been cleared after self-quarantining.