Cooley Dickinson Receives Rotary International Grant to Purchase Ventilator, COVID-19 Supplies

NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital recently received a $19,500 grant from Rotary International to purchase a ventilator and linens (approximately 690 sheets, pillows, and towels) to support COVID-19 care.

“We are glad to help Cooley Dickinson Hospital obtain the ventilator that will service many people. We at Rotary are people of action, and these are the type of projects that we do,” said Marc Glass, 2020-21 governor of Rotary International District 7890.

Anna Holhut, past president of the Rotary Club of Amherst, noted that the organization was “proud to submit an application for a grant to help Cooley Dickinson Hospital provide important care to COVID-19 patients in our community. We’re happy to support our local hospital when needed.”

This fundraising initiative to support the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12. For more information, visit charity.gofundme.com/supportcooley.

“Rotarians truly place service above self, and this dedication to their community is visible through their generous gift of a ventilator. This critical piece of equipment will help vulnerable patients, especially those with respiratory issues attributed to COVID-19, do the most basic of life functions: breathe,” said Diane Dukette, Cooley Dickinson’s chief Development officer. “The ventilator and linens will directly help our talented respiratory therapy staff take care of patients at Cooley Dickinson. We are so excited to announce this gift just as we kick off our fundraising initiative in support of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.”

The Rotary’s Disaster Response Grants program is designed to provide a fast and effective way for districts to respond to local events. Recently, the Rotary Foundation added COVID-19 projects to its list of eligible activities to receive grant funding. Each district can apply for one grant to address COVID-19, depending on the availability of funds. Rotary District 7890 applied for this grant on Cooley Dickinson’s behalf through the Rotary’s Disaster Response Grants program and at the request of the Rotary Club of Amherst.