UniFirst Corporation, longtime friend of Mark Poznansky, MD, PhD, Director of Vaccine and Immunotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital, made a $75,000 donation to support the critical research his team is conducting to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a note from Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and CEO, explaining the meaning behind the company’s generous gift.
For those who might not recognize the UniFirst name, I’d bet that, indirectly, you’ve seen our work. Headquartered in Wilmington, MA, our company is one of North America’s largest workwear and textile service companies. In fact, we outfit nearly 2 million people each business day in the professional, hygienically clean uniforms and protective garments they need to do their jobs. Our more than 300,000 business customers include food service workers, first responders, hospitals and health care workers, along with many other critical supply chain businesses that have helped to keep our communities up and running during this challenging time. Witnessing the devastating impact that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on our local community, and around the world, those of us on the UniFirst leadership team knew we wanted to help in any way that we could.
It has been incredible to see all that Mass General has been doing throughout the pandemic.
Since our founding in 1936 in Boston, UniFirst has mobilized when help is needed on both national and local levels. As a family-run business, family is at the core of our company values — so we treat our customers and employee Team Partners as such. When we first learned about the important research that Dr. Mark Poznansky was leading at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, we knew that by supporting him, we could help advance critical research to find a vaccine for COVID-19 to ensure our communities stay safe and get our economy back up and running. The opportunity to help fund this kind of research effort is a way for our UniFirst family to come together during these challenging and unprecedented times to address societal challenges head-on.
It has been incredible to see all that Mass General has been doing throughout the pandemic — from the doctors and nurses working around the clock to care for patients, to the advanced research happening behind closed doors to find a cure. We are so impressed by Mass General’s ability to move quickly, smartly, and with compassion. It’s clear that the entire Mass General team is working tirelessly and has the health and well-being of Boston and Massachusetts citizens as its number one priority.
My hope is that with donations like UniFirst’s, researchers at Mass General and other health care institutions across the country are able to continue their efforts to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Until then, I also hope that while we’ve had to put summer plans and quality time with family and friends on hold, we may stand together to do all that is necessary to stop the spread of the virus so that life may return to a new normal soon. And, above all, I hope that this time has given people a chance to reflect on what matters the most to them, and hold onto that close when new challenges arise.
Thank you, Mass General, and to all those working on the front lines of this pandemic.
– Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and CEO
