The St. Louis Cardinals and team charity Cardinals Care are pledging an additional $1 million toward support of seasonal and game-day Busch Stadium contract employees impacted by games lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
This comes after the earlier pledge of $1 million toward payments for game-day staff, made as part of a $30-million pledge from all 30 MLB teams. That aid, which kicks in today, is aimed at approximately 1,350 part-time and game-day Cardinals employees including ushers, event staff, scoreboard operators, grounds crew, retail staff, carpenters, laborers, interns, and others affected by the delay to the season’s start. Financial support for these employees will range from $500 to $1,275, depending on tenure and other factors.
The new round of $1 million is designed to provide relief to 2020 seasonal and game-day Busch Stadium contract employees experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This group of workers, estimated to be close to 1,900, includes concession employees, emergency medical and security personnel, cleanup crew members, and others who work for companies that contract with the Cardinals to provide services to the team. Cardinals Care is partnering with the St. Louis Community Foundation, which is holding and administering the fund, to process eligible recipients and implement the grant program. Eligible recipients will receive a one-time grant of $450. Any excess funds left after the initial grants are processed will go to cases of severe hardship.
“We are committed to helping the St. Louis community during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III. “Providing financial support for our seasonal and game-day employees is critical, and we consider all Busch Stadium workers—regardless of what company name is on their paycheck—to be part of the Cardinals family.”
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