In the 4 months since it was first detected, COVID-19 cases around the world have crossed two million, claiming over 125,000 lives, and counting.

Amidst this global pandemic, healthcare workers are selflessly working around the clock to treat the infected and to contain and prevent the spread of COVID-19. They are our first line of defense in the battle against the virus.

However, this fight is slowly and steadily turning into a “war with no ammo”.

A Critical Shortage of Equipment

Doctors, nurses, and medical workers are reporting a lack of protective gear, including proper masks, medical gowns, and eye gear that serve to protect them from contracting the infection and in turn, spreading it to their families and others.

The situation is dire: hundreds of healthcare workers have been forced into quarantine in the US as the number of cases near 350,000. Nearly 10% of Italy’s COVID-19 cases are healthcare workers themselves.

However, they keep fighting the pandemic so we can stay safe at home. And while at home, some of us are coming up with “novel” ways to support them:

The Crypto-Community Joins the Cause

FreeBitco.in, a leading bitcoin gaming website and free bitcoin faucet, is spearheading an initiative called the “#ThankYouHealthWorkers” campaign.

FreeBitco.in is donating 20% of the House Edge Revenue earned during 3-hour donation windows organized on selective days, to the Coronavirus Relief Fund.

The campaign took off with its first donation window on Tuesday, 31st March, raising almost 0.25 BTC in three hours. The second round went live on Sunday, 5th April, and FreeBitco.in raised 0.30 BTC.

The total proceeds, amounting to 0.53 BTC, have been donated to Direct Relief, an organization that is “coordinating with public health authorities, nonprofit organizations and businesses in the U.S. to provide personal protective equipment and other items to health workers responding to Corona (COVID-19).”

Ten more fundraising rounds have been planned for the coming weeks. Given below are the dates and time slots:

1. Sunday, 19th April: 02:30 – 05:30 UTC
2. Wednesday, 22nd April: 15:30 – 18:30 UTC
3. Saturday, 25th April: 22:30 – 01:30 UTC
4. Tuesday, 28th April: 19:30 – 22:30 UTC
5. Friday, 1st May: 21:30 – 00:30 UTC
6. Tuesday, 5th May: 11:30 – 14:30 UTC
7. Saturday, 9th May: 05:30 – 08:30 UTC
8. Tuesday, 12th May: 07:30 – 10:30 UTC
9. Monday, 18th May: 19:30 – 22:30 UTC
10. Friday, 22nd May: 19:30 – 22:30 UTC

If you’d like to support the masked heroes on the frontlines too, join the cause on the dates given above by following the steps given below:

1. Create an account at FreeBitco.in
2. Play the Bitcoin Dice game in the fundraising time slots on the given dates
3. FreeBitco.in will donate 20% of the house edge revenue earned to the fund

“The crypto-community is doing our best to put the technology to use for a great cause,” said “wetsuit”, the founder of FreeBitco.in. “We hope to do our part in rallying the community and contributing to relief for the real heroes in these tough times – the healthcare workers.”

The threat is real, but so is the sacrifice. Stay home, stay safe, and join the cause by contributing to COVID-19 relief for healthcare workers. Share this article with as many people as you can with the hashtag #ThankYouHealthWorkers. If all of us band together, we could turn the tide against the coronavirus in no time.