InterVol, Rochester General Hospital and Constellation Brands Partner to Provide Relief to Victims of Haiti Earthquake

Local InterVol Volunteer Experienced Quake Firsthand; Continues to Provide Support Locally

Local Intervol volunteer, Joey Leary, was on a mission trip in Haiti when last week's devastating earthquake struck. In fact, he found himself in the middle of the quake at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince. Now, after making his way safely back to Rochester, he is back providing his support in relief efforts through the locally-based international humanitarian services non-profit, InterVol.

In early 2008, InterVol and Rochester General Hospital formalized a 10-year relationship with an affiliation agreement. This partnership allows both organizations to utilize resources to reach a wider community base. Early Thursday morning, Constellation Brands, Inc., provided charter services to transport a team of InterVol volunteers and vital medical supplies - many provided by RGH - to the Dominican Republic, where they will be loaded onto U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters and transported to Leogane, Haiti, with the help of the U.S. Southern Command.

Joey is a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Science Preprofessional Studies and a minor in Anthropology. In 2007, while on a medical mission trip to Belize as an undergraduate, he was first introduced to InterVol. His experience with the organization led him to defer acceptance to medical school and continue mission trips with the organization. Since August, he has been in Leogane, Haiti working in conjunction with the Notre Dame Haiti Program to organize medical teams composed of InterVol and Notre Dame alumni volunteers to perform needed surgeries in Haiti.

Founded in 1989 by Ralph Pennino, MD, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Rochester General, InterVol is a Rochester-based non-profit organization that manages the recovery and redistribution of medical supplies and equipment. The organization works to bridge local hospitals and medical professionals with other countries and care-giving organizations in areas of need and to provide international educational support. InterVol operates with a dedicated group of more than 300 volunteers.

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