Seahawks' Russell Wilson, wife Ciara donate 1 million meals to Seattle area

March 18 (UPI) -- Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and wife Ciara announced that they are donating 1 million meals to the Seattle area amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The celebrity couple posted a video on social media to announce the donation. They are partnering with Seattle's Food Lifeline to make the donation. Food Lifeline distributes food to more than 300 food banks, shelters and meal programs in western Washington.

"Obviously this worldwide pandemic -- the coronavirus -- is changing the world," Wilson said. "People are losing loved ones, the elderly and the young and people in between. You think about people losing jobs."

There were 1,012 positive cases of coronavirus and 52 coronavirus deaths in Washington as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Washington State Department of Health. More than half of the total cases and 43 deaths have come from King County, where Seattle is located.

"We want to encourage everyone out there to join us in whatever way you can, big or small, everything we do together makes a difference," Ciara said. "Together we will conquer this tough time we are going through."

Wilson isn't the only star athlete -- or quarterback -- who has made donations for those affected by the coronavirus. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Tuesday he was donating 15,000 meals to the Harvesters Community Food Network. Harvesters distributed more than 47 million meals from their facilities in Topeka, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., in 2019.

Mahomes and his foundation, 15 and the Mahomies, also donated $100,000 to Kansas City public school lunch programs and local organizations that provide meals and household goods to families in need. Mahomes' teammates Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce also donated 6,000 meals apiece to Harvesters.