Recently, the Collegiate community was hit hard by Covid-19, with the passing of beloved music department head Don Sorel. Over his nearly four decade long tenure, Mr. Sorel touched the lives of every member of the Collegiate community, and shaped Collegiate's music program into what it is today. This fundraiser was made in his honor, in hopes that nobody in the Collegiate community and beyond will ever have to suffer from this terrible disease.
To many of us, Mr. Sorel was the first person who we knew to pass away due to Covid-19. To the millions of other New York City residents, however, there have been many more deaths. As these deaths multiply in number our city healthcare infrastructure becomes more and more overwhelmed. ICUs are above critical capacity, ventilator supplies are at an extreme shortage, and healthcare workers are suffering from a lack of basic PPE. In the words of a Mount Sinai nurse: "It is really, really bad. I showed up to work last night, and for each nurse you get a brown bag with one face shield and one N95 mask... There are bins to recycle the masks. We will soon be running out.” Your donations are crucial to ensuring that every doctor, every nurse, and every healthcare worker in the Mount Sinai system will be protected in saving the lives of Covid-19 patients.
Mount Sinai West is but a few blocks from our home at 301 Freedom Place South. Why must we lay dormant during our quarantines when healthcare workers are risking their lives to help save our community and help us get back to normal life? Help our doctors and nurses get basic PPE. Help hospitals purchase ventilators and expand ICU capacities. As a Collegiate community, let's stand together to help end this terrible pandemic and save the lives of those affected by donating to Mount Sinai's Covid-19 relief effort.