The last few weeks have been about as trying of times around the country as any in recent memory as the COVID-19 virus continues to wreak havoc across the nation in both physical and economic ways. Thousands have become ill with the virus, many more have lost jobs in the wake of trying to prevent even more from getting sick, and medical facilities worldwide haven’t been stretched this thin in decades. It’s a tough time for all, and luckily there are plenty of people willing to help in tough times like these.

On Friday, the Mavericks announced that Mark Cuban, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell were teaming up with the Dallas Mavericks Foundatin to donate $500,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital. A press release stated the funds will be “allocated to support childcare for healthcare workers on the frontiers of the COVID-19 response during this unprecedented time.”

The funds will be allocated to support the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital.

Quotes from proprietor Mark Cuban, UT Southwestern president Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, guard Luka Dončić and center Dwight Powell: pic.twitter.com/OrGuUBzOBk

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 20, 2020

As someone with a parent who’s beginning to have to consider how my children will be taken care of while schools are closed and I’m (very fortunately) continuing to work, this really stands out as an incredible gesture by the Mavericks organization. The staff at these facilities are likely working seemingly endless hours under the most difficult circumstances and demand they’ve ever faced. There likely isn’t even an option to say “I can’t come in today” for many of those looking to make sure their children are taken care of while they’re faced with shifts from dusk until dawn. This donation will certainly provide some relief for many different individuals.

This donation comes on the heels of Cuban and other American Airlines Center tenants vowing to pay the hourly wage workers for the remaining events on the schedule this spring.

"We have a program where the next four would-have-been Mavs games, we'll pay our hourly employees as if they worked."

—Mark Cuban pic.twitter.com/Fmmj3vETUB

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 12, 2020

Cuban expressed his desire to make this happen within minutes of the NBA’s season being suspended on March 11th. His sentiment was soon followed by similar moves by the likes of Kevin Love of the Cavaliers, Zion Williamson of the Pelicans, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Blake Griffin of the Pistons.

It’s truly inspiring to see high profile figures like Cuban, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell stepping up to help the DFW community during such a hard time. Hopefully we can all draw a little inspiration from them and look to help in whatever way we can on a scale that makes sense for us while we try to provide for our own families.