Eugene Southtowne Rotary Joins With CardioStart to Collect and Send Medical Supplies For Ukraine; Transport To Poland Begins This Sunday

Contact:

John Pfanner, Eugene Southtowne Rotary Club, j.pfanner@att.net, 541-852-3529

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CardioStart International leadership, coupled with Eugene Southtowne Rotary volunteers, have collected surplus medical supplies and equipment from River Bend and McKenzie Willamette hospitals to send to Poland, to aid in helping Ukrainian refugees who are in need of medical care. Some of the supplies will also be moved in to Ukraine to help victims of the war.

THE GROWING CRISIS IN UKRAINE

Dr. Yulia Brockdorf of Ukrainian Foundation, a relief organization based in Portland, contacted Dr. Aubyn Marath, CEO of CardioStart, asking about the availability of medical supplies and equipment to send to Ukraine. The answer was a heartfelt “Yes”. CardioStart reached out to Eugene Southtowne Rotary volunteers who have collected hospital supplies from local Eugene hospitals to send to developing countries for over 10 years.

The medical supplies are inventoried and ready to ship. Medical equipment will be added to the shipment as it is requested.

The shipment is scheduled to depart Eugene Sunday, March 20 by truck for Portland to join other donations. After that, it will travel by truck to Chicago and from there, will be flown to Poland.

LOCAL COLLABORATION

One local supporter of CardioStart generously purchased nearly $7,000 worth of diapers and formula to be shipped on Sunday’s truck. Local hospitals donated thousands of dollars of medical supplies. Warehouse space was provided by St. Vincent DePaul and two other warehouse owners. Without their support, these humanitarian relief efforts would not be possible.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Eugene Southtowne Rotary’s hospital supply distribution project started a decade ago when a charter member, Lauren Alexander, persuaded PeaceHealth Hospital at Riverbend to donate used and surplus medical equipment and supplies to Rotary rather than disposing of them in other ways. Since then, this project has grown in significant ways.

To learn more about Ukrainian Foundation: https://ukrainian.foundation/

To learn more about Dr. Yulia Brockdorf: https://yuliabrockdorf.com/

To learn more about CardioStart International: https://cardiostart.org/

To learn more about Eugene Southtowne Rotary Club: https://southtownerotary.org/project/hospital-supply-distribution/