Young Alums Fuel Effort to Support Frontline Workers

With free time on their hands, three Groton formmates have turned their energies toward helping frontline workers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), raising funds for Personal Protective Equipment as well as routine needs like food and gasoline.

All members of the Form of 2018 and college sophomores, Paul Malone, Ryan Carr, and Sam Girian are raising money through Fuel Our Heroes for COVID-related relief.

A few weeks ago, Sam’s roommate at Tulane University reached out, wanting to expand the work he was doing with Fuel Our Heroes in the Los Angeles area to other parts of the country, including Boston. Sam, who knew the head of trauma surgery at MGH, was quick to create a partnership with the Boston hospital and began working directly with MGH’s fundraising arm. When Sam asked Paul and Ryan to help, they happily joined the effort.

Like most college students, all three are studying virtually. “My classes are not the same being home,” said Paul. “With extra time on my hands, I wanted to do something, but still maintain social-distancing, so I thought raising money would be the best thing to do.”

Ryan agreed. “With plenty of free time,” he said, “why not do something good with our time?”

Fuel Our Heroes helped with the website; its fundraising button connects directly to an MGH web page, letting supporters know the impact their gift will have in support of COVID-19 efforts. According to the site, $25 provides ten masks for medical personnel; $100 covers two weeks’ worth of gas for a nurse; $500 buys two weeks worth of groceries and gas for a nurse and their family; and so on. So far Fuel Our Heroes has raised about $8,000 for MGH.

Paul, Ryan, and Sam are using their own networks at colleges and universities in the Boston area, spreading the word on Facebook and Instagram, and selling T-shirts and sweatshirts, with 80 percent of sales going to MGH.

“The biggest goal,” said Paul, “is to share the information with our community, locally in Boston, to get the word out and raise money for MGH.”—Allison MacBride

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