The arrival of COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on each country’s healthcare system, so much that several of them are being pushed to the brink. The crisis is truly global and the response from all us needs to be as well. In recent days, the players of the World’s truly global sport, football (soccer) have begun to issue theirs.

Many playing in Europe’s top domestic leagues (which have now all been suspended) are mobilising their financial clout to raise all-important funds for combating the COVID-19 threat. Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, recently launched his campaign to “Kick Coronavirus Away” , an ambitious plan that seeks to collect 1 million euros to the Italian health care system. Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola have donated a combined 2 million euros to the Spanish effort against COVID-19. English defender Ashley Young, who just started playing in Milan, has also been keen to use his celebrity to instruct people on how to stay safe during the crisis.

Yet, the need for aid is far from being exclusively European. Liverpool forward Sadio Mané, whose philanthropy is fairly well-known , has offered 45,000 euros to his native Senegal, where a state of emergency was just declared. Tottenham winger, Heung-min Son pledged his support in the form of 65,000 pounds to his native South Korea, one of the first countries hit by the virus.

Why has COVID-19 resonated so much with footballers and why are we hearing so much about it? Perhaps where football stands out from other internationally popular sports is its truly global reach – it’s played everywhere, from the development to the world class level. Therefore, the response is necessarily international. Many of these players feel strongly about helping both their host and home countries at the same time. Their response is simple: they see a need, they leverage their celebrity and they act.

It’s worth exploring the power of sporting figures to raise awareness about societal issues. However, the main question is how can we in the non-profit sector leverage our leadership and contribute to the end goal of stopping COVID-19? Following in the footsteps of these footballers by donating to our local health charities that need our support, especially those dealing with the most vulnerable, and making it public, would be a start.