The Brief:
David Peterson is sending 900 pounds of medical supplies to Kyiv, Ukraine, from his garage.
The Wisconsin Medical Project, a nonprofit, sources these supplies from various donors.
The supplies are sent to the traveling colonels, who distribute aid in Ukraine.
MADISON, Wis. -- "I decided I just had to do something."
David Peterson's garage is filled with boxes, but instead of his own belongings, they are filled with medical supplies to send to Kyiv, Ukraine. His current shipment contains approximately 900 pounds packed into 40 boxes including gauze, surgical mesh, sutures, and other essential items.
"I've been to Ukraine five times now, beginning with my two USAID [the United States Agency for International Development] projects in the mid-nineties. I made a lot of friends there," he said. "They just don't get the things they need. And we're trying to fill that gap."
The supplies Peterson sends come from the Wisconsin Medical Project, a Madison-based nonprofit that collects and redistributes medical materials worldwide. Russ Koval, a volunteer with the organization, said they sent six 40-foot shipping containers of supplies last year alone. The nonprofit sources materials from hospitals, senior centers, and individual donations that might otherwise be discarded.
"The Wisconsin Medical Project started over 25 years ago as a sister city project with Camaguey, Cuba," Koval said. "[We] send used medical equipment to Cuba, and since then has grown to Western Africa [and] Ukraine."
Peterson's mission to send supplies oversee started when he found out about the travelling colonels in December 2024, a group of individuals that distribute aid in Ukraine. Peterson sends the items he collects to the colonels.
"I know I can't control the outcome of this war, but I can control what I do in this garage with these boxes," Peterson said. "I'm going to pack them as good as I can and as long as I can and try to do what I think is my part."
Peterson's current shipment of boxes will be picked up on Monday and is expected to take about five weeks to reach its destination in Ukraine.
To donate to the Wisconsin Medical Project, you can visit wismedproject.org. Medical supplies or equipment can also be dropped off at the warehouse, 2418 Pennsylvania Ave in Madison, on Tuesdays between 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. or by appointment.
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