Falcons' Arthur Blank Creates $1M Relief Fund for Stadium Workers Amid COVID-19

Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC owner Arthur Blank has created a $1 million emergency relief fund for Mercedes-Benz Stadium employees who have taken a financial hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund was announced Tuesday, per Eric Jackson of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and will benefit associates and game-day workers by providing "assistance for the venue's event-based associates, including ones that work for third-party companies in Levy Restaurants and SAFE Management."

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is home to the Falcons and Atlanta United FC, so employees were affected when the Major League Soccer season was suspended March 12.

The Athletic's Jason Butt reported March 13 that Blank was going to continue paying hourly employees at each of his businesses:

"Speaking with The Athletic on Friday afternoon, Falcons team president Rich McKay said the decision to ensure hourly employees were not affected negatively during the pandemic was an easy one to make. McKay mentioned there are numerous hourly employees who work for Atlanta United and the Falcons and also at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the remaining companies that are a part of The Blank Family of Businesses, which is managed by the AMB Group."

On March 20, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced a $5.4 million commitment to "critical support throughout Georgia and Montana":

Blank is the co-founder of Home Depot.

Several members of the Falcons have participated in COVID-19 relief, such as quarterback Matt Ryan:

And Atlanta United FC players have been providing encouraging messages, including 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martinez:

Per CNN, there are 398,185 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States that have resulted in 12,844 deaths.