Coronavirus In Colorado: CU Boulder Donates 130,000 Pieces Of Personal Protective Equipment

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) -- The University of Colorado-Boulder donated more than 130,000 items of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management Friday. The donations will go to health care providers, long-term care facilities and first responders throughout the county.

PPE is regularly used throughout CU Boulder's campus for research and other purposes. Dozens of departments, units and labs across campus donated gloves, N-95 masks, face shields, shoe covers and other PPE.

"These donations far exceeded my expectations," said Garry DeJong, director of campus emergency management. "Once the word got out about the donations drive, the CU partners just continually kept stepping up."

A half-dozen volunteers outside of CU Boulder's Environmental Health & Safety building loaded boxes into two pickup trucks and a moving truck Friday afternoon.

Mike Chard, director of the Boulder Office of Emergency Management, said he was extremely grateful.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous pressure on our health care systems, long-term care facilities and first responders," Chard said. "Being able to keep the supply of medical and PPE at an essential service level preserves health care and government services and protects staff."

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