’s home arena will become a distribution centre for medical equipment and supplies as part of the ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the plan Friday, along with the Magic. The Amway Center, which includes the AdventHealth Practice Facility that serves as the Magic’s training home, will be used as a staging space for as long as is required. There are contingencies to continue if the need is still there when NBA play resumes.
Dyer says the arena will be a hub for equipment and supplies that will go to 50 hospitals in Central Florida as well as facilities in seven other states. Magic CEO Alex Martins says conversations with AdventHealth and the city alerted the team to the need for such a space. “It is our honour to partner with the city of Orlando to provide assistance in the use of the Amway Center to meet AdventHealth’s and our community’s needs,” Martins said.
The Magic have been very active in responding to the pandemic, with several players donating money to various causes and the DeVos family — which owns the team — pledging up to $2 million to assist Amway Center hourly workers for lost games.