Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 6, 2004

Schumer Gets Feds To Deliver Military Plane So North Country Mission Of Hope Can Send Medical Supplies To Nicaragua

North Country Mission of Hope seeks to send over $1 million in medical supplies to Nicaragua but had no way to transport them

Schumer pushed feds and today successfully got Department of Defense to provide transportation to send the medical equipment to Nicaragua

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the federal government will help the North Country Mission of Hope in Plattsburgh transport over $1 million in medical supplies from the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base Hospital to Nicaragua. Schumer was notified today that the Department of Defense's Denton Funded Transportation Program has agreed to his request and will work with the North Country Mission of Hope so they can ship the equipment to Nicaragua shortly.

"I would like to thank Sister Debbie Blow for her constant work and dedication in getting life-saving medical equipment to people who depend on it," Schumer said. "We said we would fight to help the North Country Mission of hope do its good work, and I'm glad to say today we were successful."

Sister Debbie Blow, Executive Director of the North Country Mission of Hope approached the Plattsburgh Air Force Hospital when it closed to gain access to the outdated medical supplies. While the medical supplies - including mammogram, x-ray machines, and autoclaves to hospital beds - were outdated by American standards, they were in good condition for Nicaragua.

Schumer's office worked with the North Country Mission of Hope, transportation companies, and the Department of Defense to get transportation to send the supplies to Nicaragua. When Schumer learned of the situation earlier this month, he had his office promptly call various officials at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the Department of Defense to get the North Country Mission of Hope the funding and transportation. Schumer was notified today that the Department of Defense's Denton Funded Transportation Program agreed to provide transportation of the medical supplies to Nicaragua.

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