Wolves Ryan Saunders, Vikings Adam Thielen donate to fight Coronavirus pandemic

Minnesota natives and sports figures Ryan Saunders and Adam Thielen are the latest to make donations locally in an effort to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

Saunders, the Minnesota Timberwolves coach and his wife, Hayley, are providing 10,000 snack packs to local youth by partnering with MATTER and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. The healthy snack packs include a whole grain cracker, unsweetened applesauce, protein WOW butter, a goal card and a written “YOU MATTER” NOTE of encouragement.

Saunders and his wife posted a YouTube video about the donation.

"Hayley and I wanted to extend support to our community, as we are incredibly thankful for the great work and leadership of Boys & Girls Clubs as they continue to serve youth and families during this difficult time," said Saunders. "We are grateful to assist their efforts to ensure youth and families have access to healthy food options and support by providing MATTERboxes to be distributed at the Boys & Girls Club Twin Cities locations. We're all in this together and we hope this encourages everyone to lift each other up and support one another by practicing social distancing to keep our community as safe as possible."

The snack packs will be distributed through the Mount Airy and Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club locations.

Thielen Foundation donating $75,000 to 3 local organizations

Minnesota Vikings receiver and Detroit Lakes native Adam Thielen first stepped up to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic with a  $25,000 donation to Second Harvest Heartland on March 15.

He took a step further on Thursday, announcing the Thielen Foundation will donate an additional $75,000 to three local organizations that serve those affected by Coronavirus. The money will go to The Salvation Army North, M Health Fairview and the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund.

The Salvation Army North provides food, emergency assistance and housing to people in need. M Health Fairview has a need for medical protection and safety gear to safely help patients battle Covid-19, and money from the Thielen Foundation will go to purchase N95 masks, surgical shields, gowns and other essential equipment to protect patients and frontline caregivers. The Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund supports community needs, short and long-term, that come as the result of Covid-19 and other disasters.

Thielen will also be involved in a KFAN Radiothon on April 9. The radio station will have Minnesota athletes, coaches, team executives and community leaders on throughout the day, and they’ll be taking donations to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.