Karl-Anthony Towns donates $100K to Mayo Clinic to support coronavirus testing
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during warm up prior to an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on February 10, 2020 in Toronto, Canada. (Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Days after the hospital announced it had developed its own test to detect coronavirus, Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is making a big donation to help the Mayo Clinic.
Sunday night, the Wolves center announced he would donate $100,000 to the clinic as the nation deals with the outbreak of COVID-19.
Thursday, the hospital announced it had developed the new test they say allows for a quick turnaround on results, just 24 hours, and will alleviate the stress on other labs testing for the disease.
“Our team has been working around the clock for the past month to develop a test for COVID-19,” wrote Dr. William Morice II, chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. “We are blown away by Karl’s gesture to help us fast-track offering testing to more patients across Minnesota and the nation.”
The donation will help the Mayo Clinic increase its testing output from around 200 tests per day to 1,000 per day.