Dignity Health, the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers and KNBR announced the launch of a public health initiative Thursday to donate 200,000 co-branded masks to communities across northern California.
The Giants and 49ers plan to produce masks co-branded with Dignity Health's logo that will be distributed to fans of both teams as well as underserved Bay Area communities, front-line employees, hospital workers and community organizations like food banks and affordable housing advocates.
KNBR will also offer masks to listeners via a series of public service announcements and radio promotions.
"During this unprecedented public health crisis, the Giants together with the 49ers, Dignity Health and KNBR have a powerful and unique opportunity to use the strength of our collective reach to raise awareness and influence public behavior," Giants President and CEO Larry Baer said.
How Coronavirus Has Grown in Each State — in 1 Chart
This chart shows the cumulative number of cases per state by number of days since the 50th case.
Source: The COVID Tracking Project
Credit: Amy O’Kruk/NBC
Dignity Health, KNBR and the two teams are launching the initiative in support of Gov. Gavin Newsom's public awareness campaign to implore California residents to wear masks and other face coverings during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Newsom has argued that wearing masks will reduce the spread of the virus, protect those who are most vulnerable to contracting it and allow the state to reopen at a quicker pace. Newsom has also remained adamant that fans will not be allowed to attend sporting events in large numbers until a vaccine or other treatment is widely available.
"Getting as many people as possible to wear a mask every time they go out in public is fundamental to helping our community flatten the curve and enable us to bring sports back to our beloved fans," 49ers CEO Jed York said.
"We fully support Gov. Newsom's #WearAMask campaign and look forward to working with our friends at Dignity Health, the Giants and KNBR to get the word out and deliver masks to those who need them the most," York said.
The Giants are currently distributing their co-branded masks as Major League Baseball prepares to begin its truncated regular season next week. The 49ers will begin handing out their masks in August to coincide with the start of the National Football League's season.
