Paris Saint-Germain thanks healthcare workers and Paris hospitals
On Sunday July 12 at the friendly match against Le Havre at the Stade Océane, Paris Saint-Germain will pay tribute to the 100,000 health professionals from Assistance Publique - Paris Hospitals (AP-HP) for their work throughout the coronavirus crisis. The club will wear a jersey with a message of thanks to AP-HP staff during the first post-lockdown friendly match against Le Havre AC.
The slogan "Tous Unis"/All Together launched by the Club since the start of lockdown will be displayed on the back of the Parisians' training jersey along with the word "Merci" (thank you). An identical badge will be displayed on the Parisian players' match jerseys.
Since the the start of the Covid-19 crisis Paris Saint-Germain has worked to support healthcare staff who have been on the front line, fighting the epidemic on a daily basis.
In March the Club launched a special "Tous Unis" jersey combining its colours with those of the Assistance Publique - Paris Hospitals, with 1,500 unique shirts at €175 selling out immediately and the funds going to support healthcare personnel to help them cope with the health crisis. The proceeds from this sale funded the delivery of 25,000 fresh, home-made meals by food trucks to several AP-HP hospitals, as well as the purchase of equipment to equip staff relaxation rooms with televisions, sound systems and armchairs).
As we emerge from the crisis and football resumes, Paris Saint-Germain is marking the occasion during its first post-lockdown friendly match to show its gratitude for the commitment of these men and women, everyday heroes, who work day in day out to save lives. The messages on the training and matchday shirts is Paris Saint-Germain’s gratitude for all the work, sacrifices, fatigue and risks taken by these carers during the crisis and beyond.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Chairman and CEO of Paris Saint-Germain, said: "Faced with the Covid-19 epidemic, I wanted the Club to make a strong commitment by making its facilities available and organizing fundraising events for charities and institutions working during the crisis, such as the Assistance Publique - Paris Hospitals who benefited from the proceeds of the "Tous Unis" jerseys.”
"The club wanted the funds raised to be used through concrete initiatives to relieve the daily hardship of AP-HP staff, to help them rest, eat and share moments of comfort with their colleagues."
"We are happy to have been able to do our bit, improving the quality of work of these vital pillars of our society who have shown courage and dedication and who have risked their lives to save others. It was important for us, symbolically, to send them this message of thanks on behalf of Paris Saint-Germain, which was relayed on our players' shirts during the first post-lockdown match, and to continue our long-term commitment."
Martin Hirsch, Managing Director of the AP-HP, added: "Paris Saint-Germain continues to stand alongside us, as they have done since the start of the crisis. We are delighted with this new initiative, which honours our organisation and the professionals that make it up. We would like to thank PSG for their constant commitment to us during the pandemic and we will be honoured to see our logo appear on the players' jerseys on 12 July.”
Other initiatives will follow during the next matches at the Parc des Princes.