Rotary Club, students help those in need
Published on September 27th, 2006
SONEHAM, MA - Within a few weeks, perhaps even at this moment, elderly and disabled residents from some of the poorest and most disadvantaged countries in the world will receive thousands of much needed wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical devices. And all of that much needed assistance, absent the actual transportation of the mobility aids to those needy people, can be tracked to a two-year effort organized by the Stoneham Rotary Club and brought to fruition last Thursday thanks to dedicated high schoolers.
According to Stoneham Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, who is currently the local Rotary Club's President, volunteers traveled to the Boston Regional Medical Center last Thursday to load the enormous stash of equipment onto a tractor trailer provided by North Andover's International Medical Equipment Collaborative (IMEC).
The non-profit organization, founded in 1995, distributes donated medical equipment to hospitals, clinics, and orphanages all over the globe, including countries in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
"This began two years ago when Carolyn Lassiter was president of the Rotary Club. We actually collected this equipment for her whole year as president and were actually able to store all of these items at the BRMC at no cost," Connelly recalled.
"Just recently, Carolyn made contact with IMEC and they arranged to pickup all of the equipment last week," the Superintendent added, explaining that part of the delay stemmed from difficulty in finding a charity to accept the goods.
According to the Rotary Club President, when the truck driver arrived at the BRMC and discovered just how many wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches had been gathered, he appeared somewhat stunned. That shock, says IMEC spokeswoman Jennifer Andersen, likely stemmed from the fact that the organization primarily deals with health care providers such as hospitals, nursing homes, and health clinics. And as such, the large payload was probably not expected.
"It was wonderful. Everything that comes in goes to people who desperately need it. These walkers will literally help people get off the floor and out of bed," Anderson explained.
"I know the feedback was very positive. We work with the Rotary Club in other capacities, and it was great to have their help," the spokeswoman furthered.
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