Amy Kuperinsky
NJ Advance Media Group, Edison, N.J.
RIDGEFIELD, N.J. — Just days after announcing that he and his family had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (and have since beat it), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson delivered a shoutout to Jersey.
Johnson, 48, recently thanked the Ridgefield Fire Department’s engine company No. 2 with pairs of his Project Rock Under Armour sneakers.
The actor posted a video to Instagram Sunday showing the firefighters receiving the gift by way of Under Armour and the First Responders Children’s Foundation, a New York nonprofit that provides financial support for children and families of first responders. (He tagged Ridgefield Park Fire Department but it was actually Ridgefield.)
In the video, Jillian Crane, president of the foundation, reads the firefighters a letter from Johnson.
“During these tough times you’ve protected our families, our loved ones and our communities,” he wrote. “As a small mahalo for all that you do, from myself and Under Armour, here’s my newly released Project Rock PR3s. Hopefully these will help the hardest workers in the room kick ass even more.”
“Glad you (bad asses) got my note,” Johnson said in his Instagram post. “A very small way of us saying, THANK YOU to you guys and all our first responders across our country. I see you and we’re grateful to you for always taking care of our families and communities. Stay safe, stay healthy.”
Johnson made his COVID-19 announcement Wednesday.
“So the update is this: My wife, Lauren, as well as my two baby girls and myself, we have all tested positive for COVID-19,” he said in a video message. “And I can tell you that this has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family and for me personally, too, as well.”
“I am happy to tell you guys that we as a family are good,” he continued. “We are on the other end of it, we are on the other side, we are no longer contagious and we are, thank God, we are healthy. And we have gotten through COVID-19 stronger and healthier.”
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