Suns center Ayton continues support of frontline workers during pandemic
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton continues support of frontline workers during COVID-19 pandemic as he’s aided in upgrading two respite rooms at Banner Estrella Medical Center that provide much-needed moments of relaxation.
“I thought it was important to create the rooms because leisure time is important, especially when you have a long, stressful day,” Ayton said in a Suns video. “These workers have been through a lot throughout this year, 2020 hasn’t been all good and this is just something for them to really relax and just take some stress off.
With a Phoenix Suns theme, the two rooms are now furnished with new amenities such as a massage chair, headphones, calming music and food for the workers doing their part to address the pandemic.
“They’ve been through a lot,” Ayton later said. “They help us fight off COVID. I just want to give a huge thank you.”
There’s also a autographed Ayton white No. 22 jersey in the area. “It’s been a place where I can just come and kick back and relax and not have to think about work responsibilities at any moment and just focus on myself,” said patient care assistant Patricia Crawford in the video. “I really enjoyed it.”
In partnership with his sponsors, Ayton provided Puma socks and Muzik One headphones to the room. Phoenix Suns Charities donated iPads equipped with the Headspace meditation app from the NBA.
“They work long hours,” Banner Health chief clinic officer Marjorie Bessel said in the Suns post that notes Banner Estrella Medical Center has saved more than 1,000 lives.
“They do 12-hour shifts,” Bessel continued. “We ask them to do overtime, so they’re working more shifts than they normally would during the week. Sometimes that little extra benefit of not having to go home and cook a meal, just makes all the difference for them as they
get rested.”
This is just a continual effort from Ayton for frontline workers.
Ayton catered food for over 300 meals and Puma donated 1,000 pairs of slides for frontline health care workers at Banner Desert Medical Center during the NBA hiatus that began March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
Devin Booker joined Ayton in support, donating $25,000 to Banner Health.