Dear Chargers family,
With the COVID-19 public health crisis dominating the headlines, consuming our thoughts and creating an environment of uncertainty in our communities, I want every member of our extended Chargers family to know that we're going to get through this – together. In this most dynamic situation that requires both compassion and thoughtfulness, teamwork has never been more important.
Last Monday, in effort to raise awareness and address an immediate need, the Chargers organization contributed $250,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to ensure hunger relief services continue uninterrupted for vulnerable Angelenos.
With local governments closing businesses and schools alike, many of our neighbors have lost their jobs and many of our children have lost access to school lunch. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a valuable resource for our community, and we must do all we can to guarantee it continues to be fully operational in a time of great need.
Additionally, we have connected our friends at Lazy Dog with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Last week Lazy Dog launched a Friends + Family Meal menu that serves five people starting at just $25. What's better, for every meal purchased, they will donate a meal to the Food Bank. Supporting our local businesses is crucial at this moment in time, and we've only just begun our rollout of community support in the wake of this pandemic.
We are grateful for the sacrifices of everyone on the front lines of this pandemic – from healthcare professionals to first responders to grocery store workers to everyone in between. And we know people are suffering.
But as the namesake of the Super Bowl trophy, Vince Lombardi, often noted, 'It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.'
As it pertains to the business of football, we have been in constant contact with the NFL, medical experts, public health officials and elected leaders to take every measure necessary to ensure the health and safety of our employees, players, fans, partners and every member of our community. Consistent with their recommendations, we were an early adopter of the work-from-home model, significantly adjusted planned travel and postponed previously scheduled appearances and events.
Our current situation requires a more measured approach on all fronts; we are far from business as usual.
We have heard from many of you – season ticket members, partners and fans alike – and will be communicating with you momentarily with news on our plans to address these unusual hardships.
We know these are difficult, unprecedented times.
While social distancing, stay-at-home orders and a lack of clarity as to what our immediate future holds can be frightening, I hope football can prove to be a welcome distraction. We've had an exciting and productive start to free agency, and the NFL Draft – minus the public events – is less than a month away.
We will carry on together and be stronger as a result. Meanwhile, we promise to continue to provide you with fun, informative content through our best-in-class social media channels, keep you connected with our team, engaged with our players and, ultimately, make you proud to be part of our family.
The Chargers are here for you and every member of our community. Wishing you and yours good health and safety during these trying times.
Sincerely,
Dean A. Spanos
Owner and Chairman of the Board, Los Angeles Chargers
