Almost one hundred NY-based photographers have launched an online fundraiser to help a New York City hospital fight against Coronavirus. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Elmhurst Hospital Center has been flooded with COVID-19 patients and is struggling to meet the demands for both medical personnel and PPE.
“As of early April, patients and difficult outcomes have skyrocketed,” a spokesperson at Elmhurst Hospital said. “This has taken a devastating toll on front-line staff. In addition to the sheer exhaustion of caring for so many critically ill patients, our doctors and nurses fear for their own safety and that of their families.”
Inspired by 100 FOTOGRAFI PER BERGAMO – a Crowdfunder which raised more than $793,000 for the Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy – Pictures for Elmhurst, launched by photographer Samantha Casolari, consists of an online print sale of 8.5 x 11-inch photographs.
“The most difficult thing as this lockdown began was feeling powerless to help,” Casolari said. “I am originally from Italy and took part in a beautiful fundraiser last week where Italian and international photographers donated work to raise funds for the intensive care units at a hospital in Bergamo overwhelmed by COVID-19. The project was extremely successful, so I wanted to repeat it here.”
Running April 10th to 20th, the fundraiser features works priced at $150 each from 96 photographers, including Adam Pape, Tyler Mitchell, Vincent van de Wijngaard, Brianna Capozzi, Drew Jarett, Mark Borthwick, and Benedict Brink.
The photographs on sale can be viewed on the fundraiser website as well as on the Instagram account of the initiative. All proceeds will be used to provide supplies for those fighting the virus on the front lines at Elmhurst Hospital.