**This story was updated at 9:45 am on April 27.
Hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser encouraged donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) during a drive held in Surrey on Saturday (April 25).
The event was part of the “Conquer COVID-19” campaign backed by the Olympic gold-medalist and also Vancouver-raised actor Ryan Reynolds, among others.
The campaign calls for masks, gloves, gowns, face shields and other PPE equipment for a contactless drop-off donation. Donation drives have also taken place in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
In Surrey, Saturday’s event was held at Canstar Restorations, 9377 193rd St., in the Port Kells area.
Canstar and two other restoration firms (Platinum Pro-Claim Restoration and Barclay Restorations) united to support frontline workers with the drive, with the help of employees.
In the end, more than 8,000 pieces of PPE were collected, including 2,000 N95 masks that arrived from Calgary in a Canadian Tire truck.
The collected items will go to local hospitals, family physicians, nursing homes, elderly care facilities, women’s shelters and other community health groups, according to event organizers.
A four-time Olympic gold medallist and Order of Canada recipient, Wickenheiser is a frequent visitor to Surrey during the annual Wickfest female hockey tournament she founded.
• RELATED STORY: Hayley Wickenheiser says women’s hockey has ‘come a long way’ at Surrey event.
In video, hockey great Hayley Wickenheiser calls for donations at Surrey drive planned Saturday as part of ‘Conquer COVID-19’ campaign. @wick_22 @VancityReynolds #ConquerCOVID19 #SurreyBC @SBofT @SurreyNowLeader @wickfest
FULL STORY: https://t.co/Ev7xhozdAE pic.twitter.com/xUqPMUDS46— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) April 22, 2020
“Ensuring we have a high-quality supply of PPE to protect our vulnerable front-line workers is vital as we continue to battle COVID-19,” Wickenheiser said in a news release prior to the event in Surrey.
“The nurses, doctors, paramedics, police and fire services in our communities are our lifeline in fighting this virus. We must do everything we can to protect them, so they can continue to save the lives of thousands of Canadians. Even the smallest donation can impact saving lives, and I ask you to step up and support this cause if you can.”
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