SKI GOGGLES FOR HOSPITALS
Outside Magazine reports on a novel way skiers and snowboarders are supporting frontline health workers around the United States. They are donating their used or new ski googles to hospitals that lack the proper PPE to treat COVID-19 patients.
The movement was spearheaded by skier/doctor Mike Halperin M.D., the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Director at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. He partnered with Jon Schaefer, the owner and general manager of Berkshire East and Catamount, mountain resorts in Massachusetts. Schaefer set up a Facebook group and issued a far-reaching call to action. Trevor Crist and Gregg Blanchard, of the travel booking company Inntopia, then stepped up and offered to build a website for the movement at no charge. The result is GogglesForDocs.com.
In order to contribute ski goggles for hospitals around the country, donors can follow the simple steps and video instructions on the website. Simply select a hospital, prepare the goggles for donation, and mail or drop them off. As of right now, all but 7 US states current need for goggles have been fulfilled. 11,740 goggles have been donated and 736 are still required. Requirements, however will likely change or increase over time.
The website also offers the following resources:
- Hospitals Can Request Goggles HERE
- Make a Cash Donation to the Effort HERE
- Become a Drop-Off Spot HERE
- Become a Regional Volunteer HERE
