On September 19, 2020 the Ridge Lions Club presented the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad (RVRS) with a large box of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that was part of a $10,000 grant to purchase sanitizer, face masks, and gloves for our First Responders serving Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s counties through District 22C and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). District 22C was able to distribute essential PPE to 11 VFD/VRS and 1 Hospital.

Our First responders/Essential personnel play a vital role in the response to the Coronavirus-19 crisis in our MD22C counties. Serving the needs of our First Responders and Essential Workers was identified by the District 22C Safety Alert Coordinator as a high priority due to the more than 40,000 cases as of June 19, 2020. Current data suggests person-to-person transmission most commonly happens during close exposure to a person infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, primarily via respiratory droplets produced when the infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. The Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is vital in source control, which involves having First Responders and patients wear a face covering their mouth and nose to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

District 22C identified the need for First Responders to be prepared to encounter COVID-19 cases by requesting a grant ‘EMR18633/22-C’ from the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) Disaster Grant program. The grant was titled “Personal Protection Equipment and Relief of First Responders/Essential Workers “Diversity” in SERVICE “Relief” fund without Barriers”.

This District-wide effort shows our SERVICE and LIONISM at its best. We want to Thank our Immediate Past District Governor (IPDG) Lion Sonia Wiggins, LCI Representative - Cassandra Rotolo, PID Joe Gaffigan (Area 1A LCIF Coordinator) and PDG Kelley Randolph (22C LCIF Coordinator), for making all of this possible.