PEORIA, Ill. – To date, 83 ambulances, fire trucks and SUVs have been sent to Ukraine through donations to U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine.
The organization is headed up by OSF HealthCare’s VP of Government Relations Chris Manson.
“We have another eleven that are kind of in the queue to go over in the next couple of months, so we’re at like 94 or 95,” Manson says.
Over the last two years, hospitals, ambulance services, and fire departments across the country have donated older, but still functioning emergency vehicles to the cause.
The idea for U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine began with Manson’s then 7-year-old daughter Lily asking how they could help the people of the war-torn country.
Watching what was going on in the early days of the war between Ukraine and Russia, she asked her dad…”What can we do?”
“I just had a feeling like…Ok, I see these people suffering, I just need to do something to help,” Lily says.
WMBD’s “Greg and Dan” asked Lily, “How do you feel now, that so many ambulances have gone over to Ukraine?”
“I feel very happy that we’re helping, and I really feel just really proud of my dad too,” Lily says.
Three more ambulances were recently donated to U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine from the Peoria area, with more likely to come.
Manson says after making multiple trips to Ukraine, many of the firefighters and rescue workers he’s met there are now his friends.
To learn more about U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine, and how you can help, click HERE.
