Ryan Zimmerman creates Pros for Heroes fund for healthcare workers

Ryan Zimmerman appears on the Today Show from his home in Great Falls.

With COVID-19 ravaging the community, and healthcare workers are battling the disease with less-than adequate supplies, Washington National star Ryan Zimmerman stepped up to the plate.

Zimmerman and his wife Heather founded the Pros for Heroes campaign to raise money for hospital workers to ensure they have reliable supplies, equipment, and healthy meals for their families. Heather is a native of Annandale and a member of the Annandale High School Class of 2002.

Pros for Heroes provides personal protective equipment for Inova staff.

“Keeping these frontline heroes comfortable by allowing them to go from hospital to home with a sense of safety and health is our priority,” Zimmerman states on the Pros for Heroes GoFundMe website.

“Teamwork is the ability to come together towards a common goal. The Nationals are my team, but now that team has expanded,” says Zimmerman, a first baseman on the 2019 World Series championship team.

The campaign’s first project was providing meals for workers at Inova Fairfax Hospital on Easter Sunday. Since then, Pros for Heroes gave $100,000 to Inova staff for personal protective equipment. The meals are provided by SuperFd, a company that works with Eco Caters, to make sure professional athletes have nutritious, locally sourced food.

The campaign has so far raised $308,859, thanks to the support of more than a thousand donors, including professional athletes. Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals and John Wall of the Washington Wizards each donated $20,000. The fundraising goal is $500,000.

“We are looking forward to attracting as many supporters to help join this cause and give back as much as we can to those who have given us so much,” Zimmerman says. “These critical care unit members are the true heroes, and we believe supporting them in any manner is incredibly important.”

Zimmerman spoke about Pros for Heroes on the Today Show April 17, where he said athletes are raising healthcare staff’s spirits by delivering the meals themselves.

They raised significant funds through sharing a Zoom session with fans showing Nationals players watching a video of game 7 of the World Series.

Ryan said Heather is due June 4 with their third child and first boy. When asked about the possibility of starting the 2020 season with precautions to ensure the safety of players and fans, Zimmerman said, “we want to do what we love but you’ve got to be safe.”

To donate to Pros for Heroes, visit the campaign’s GoFundMe site.