By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
San Antonio Spurs guard Marco Belinelli made a generous donation to the “Maggiore” hospital of his native Bologna, Italy. Belinelli’s father was working as a surgeon in the hospital before getting retired.
Per a report by Il Resto del Carlino, Belinelli’s donation was towards “the purchase of health equipment for the assistance of patients affected by coronavirus.” Belinelli spent the first four years of his professional playing for Bologna teams, He was with Virtus Bologna in 2002-2003 and then moved to Fortitudo Bologna until 2007, when he signed with the Golden State Warriors to begin his NBA stint.
Bologna is located in northern Italy, a region in the country that has been one of the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Italy is the second most-affected country in the world by the pandemic after China, with 2,503 deaths and 31,506 cases as of Tuesday (17/3) night.
“Since this emergency broke out, I’ve always been in contact with my family and friends in Italy,” Belinelli said. “My father is a surgeon and for many years he worked both at the Maggiore Hospital. I know how much work people there put and today that’s even more important. I help as I can from afar, in the hope of being able to return to Bologna soon and thank one by one all the people who are in the front lines today. I’ve never felt so proud to be Italian.