While many were ringing in the New Year with Champagne and music, a New York faith-based charity was unloading two 53 foot trailer loads of medicine bound for South Asia Tsunami Victims. Citihope International was receiving their first 5 Million dollars worth of much needed medicine donated by the major pharmaceutical companies.
Andes, N.Y. (PRWEB) January 5, 2005 -- New Years Eve was celebrated in the small, upstate New York village of Andes in a unique way last evening. As the neighbors of Citihope International, a local faith-based medical humanitarian relief agency, made for a popular hotel for a night dining, dancing and cork popping, two 53 ft. semi-tractor trailers pulled into town. With tag team drivers, they had been deployed from Schaumburg, Ill. just 48 hours earlier, with a prayer for dry roads and good weather.
Citihope staff were on hand and rallied to unload 58 pallets of critically needed pharmaceuticals donated by American Pharmaceutical Partners. Valued at $4.6 million, they are destined to leave on the 10,000 mile trek to Southeast Asia by midweek next.
This is a Christmas Season miracle," said Paul Moore, Jr., Citihopes Sr. Vice-President, as the last of the 35,000 lbs. of medicine finished unloading. Soon it will be my honor to help deliver these life-saving gifts personally on behalf of the American people, and APP to medical doctors already on the rescue scene." Moore is coordinating Citihopes preparations from their Catskill mountain warehouse location.
Certainly the timing was not ideal, but many people will benefit from these efforts,"said Donna Felch, APPs Vice President and Treasurer. We are excited and grateful to make this donation." In keeping with the urgency in which the medicines were shipped, they will be sent on as soon as they can be inventoried and staged for airlifting.
This significant first night" arrival is the start of many expected in the coming week as other drug company officers return from their holidays, and join in the mission with Citihope. The goal is to raise a minimum of $15 million in strategic pharmaceuticals and medical disposables urgently needed throughout Southeast Asia to ward off expected disease pandemics of cholera, malaria, pneumonia, hepatitis A and diarrhea.
We are asking all who wish to support our rapid, hands-on response to the Tsunami disaster to make the most generous contribution possible, now," said Rev. Paul Moore, Sr., Citihopes President. We have reliable partners on the frontlines of relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Thailand waiting for our shipments to arrive. All we need is to hear from folks of goodwill with cash contributions to send us on our way."
Moore estimated that for each dollar given, $60 or more of medical aid would be delivered to those most in need. Citihope expects to make 3 or more shipment by air cargo immediately, and to monitor the developing crisis for further humanitarian assistance needs as they arise. For further information visit www.Citihope.org or call 845-676-4400.
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