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Former champion Erik Morales to donate three months' salary to COVID-19 relief in Baja California

Four-time title holder Erik Morales has already started distributing provisions in his native Baja California to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jaime Lopez/Getty Images

Four-time world titleholder Erik Morales will donate three months' salary to be used on groceries for communities in need in his native Baja California during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Morales, of Mexico, said he began distributing groceries in Mexicali, Tecate, Ensenada and Rosarito on Monday, and he hopes to expand to more affected areas by week's end. He is the second former Mexican boxer to donate his salary as a government official after Sonora state deputy Orlando Salido announced he would do so last week.

"The idea is to help those in need," Morales told ESPN. "The contingency is affecting everyone in one way or another."

Morales and his staff began distributing meals this week despite bad weather. The grocery packages include rice, pasta, beans, coffee, flour and cleaning products. He said he is also considering organizing a charity boxing exhibition event that would pit him against former world champion Marco Antonio Barrera.