Mavs’ Cuban, Doncic And Powell Donate $500,000 To Childcare Services For Healthcare Workers Battling COVID-19

The Dallas Mavericks are remaining active in the local community as it copes with the COVID-19 pandemic. In the latest gesture of support, team owner Mark Cuban, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell, in conjunction with the Dallas Mavericks Foundation are donating $500,000 that will go to support the childcare needs of healthcare workers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas.

“We can’t thank our healthcare workers enough for putting their patients’ well-being before their own,” Cuban said in a statement. “I am thankful to Luka and Dwight as we partner up to support healthcare workers who are doing everything they can to keep our community healthy.”  

This week, Parkland, Dallas County’s public hospital, established drive-through testing for the coronavirus. The service is available by appointment only and is available to Parkland patients, first responders and healthcare workers. Private testing facilities are open to others. UT Southwestern is the largest medical school in the University of Texas System and in the state of Texas. It’s located adjacent to Parkland.

“We are deeply grateful to the entire Dallas Mavericks organization, and especially to Mark, Dwight and Luka, for their incredible generosity in providing emergency childcare funding benefitting the frontline healthcare workers of UT Southwestern and Parkland,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, president of UT Southwestern. “This will alleviate a tremendous burden faced by so many nurses, physicians, lab technicians and other care team members working nonstop on our COVID-19 response. Having support for childcare will be one less thing they have to worry about.”

Currently, the caregiving staff at UT Southwestern and Parkland includes a host of doctors, nurses, specialists and lab technicians. The Mavericks aren’t forgetting front desk workers and custodians, who are also critical in an urgent care environment. Funds will be allocated as soon as possible.

“Thank you to our amazing healthcare workers,” said Doncic. “They are sacrificing so much to care for others, and I am honored to help.”

The official announcement of childcare support for healthcare workers comes two days after Cuban’s appearance on CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time. In an interview with host Chris Cuomo, he laid out what he, Doncic and Powell were doing. He also said that it’s an opportunity to create new job opportunities.

“Those daycare workers, we’re going to work with different organizations that can check them out and all that,” Cuban said. “But that’s going to be new jobs, as well. So, people who may not have had jobs before, now will not only be able to get jobs but will have them working with daycare organizations so that healthcare workers can go to work knowing their kids are okay.”

Doncic and Powell have teamed up before to help bring awareness to the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak. The two appeared in a public service announcement for the NBA explaining the need for social distancing.

“We are extremely grateful for the amazing bravery shown by our health professionals during this difficult time,” said Powell. “We feel it’s our duty to do whatever we can to support their efforts. We continue to practice social distancing and good hygiene, while hoping this fund helps prevent families from further hardship as a result of their sacrifice.”

This is just the latest effort from the Mavericks to help support the North Texas community during this crisis. Recently, the organization, along with the Mavs Foundation, donated $100,000 to area nonprofits. Cuban is also reimbursing employees from all his companies for any breakfast or lunch items they purchase from local independent restaurants. Soon after the NBA’s cessation of games, the Mavericks announced that hourly employees at the American Airlines Center will receive pay for the six postponed games that were to take place in a 30-day period.

As of this writing, there are 74 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County. The number grows daily.