HOUSTON -- Astros owner Jim Crane is working with players Carlos Correa and Martín Maldonado, in addition to other Major League players, to transport disaster relief and medical supplies to Puerto Rico to assist with the coronavirus crisis.
Crane Worldwide and the Astros Foundation will cover 100 percent of the transportation costs, as well as coordinate the logistics to get the supplies to Puerto Rico. Three ocean containers and three truckloads of supplies have already arrived in Puerto Rico, with a fourth container scheduled to ship next week. The shipments are being managed by NACC Disaster Services.
“Puerto Rico has always been an important market for Major League Baseball and the Latin players across the league,” Crane said in a statement. “Carlos reached out to me for assistance in getting critical medical supplies to Puerto Rico on behalf of a number of players across the league. We are more than happy to utilize our resources to help. I’m extremely proud of Carlos, Martín and so many of our players for the way they have stepped up to help those in need during this pandemic. Our players continue to step up to serve our communities during this time.”
Said Correa in a statement: “The Correa Family Foundation and I created an initiative to address the most pressing needs in Puerto Rico to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We joined forces with several Puerto Rican players and artists to achieve a monumental donation of $3,000,000 in medical equipment.
“We didn’t have the means to transport it in a timely fashion, so we asked Jim Crane for help as he has always been willing to support all of our past humanitarian efforts, not only in Houston, but also in other countries. Jim and the Astros Foundation immediately responded by donating the air and sea transport for all of the 100,000 pounds of medical supplies. This would not have been possible without his help. I’m proud to play for the best owner in the game.”
This isn’t the first time Crane and Correa have teamed up to help Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, Correa collaborated with Crane to ship more than 100,000 pounds of supplies to the country.
Earlier this month, the Astros Foundation and Crane Worldwide partnered in an effort to assist the Houston hospitals within the Texas Medical Center. That partnership has resulted in the purchase and delivery of millions of medical supplies and personal protective equipment.