The #SupportYourLocal campaign provides meals to frontline workers while also supporting local restaurants and businesses as they fight to stay open in the midst of this pandemic. Back in April 2020, Zach Harrod, the head coach of the Prague Lions American football team, came up with the idea after being inspired by a similar campaign put on by a club in Germany. Hundreds of portions of food have already been delivered in several rounds since the beginning of the campaign, giving the staff in the covid departments some much needed energy and encouragement.
Meals have been delivered to the Institute of Social Services in Prague 4, the covid department at Bulovka Hospital , and especially the covid department at Motol University Hospital. Motol University Hospital is the largest medical facility in the Czech Republic and one of the largest in Europe with a capacity of 2,199 beds. Motol hospitalizes 79,000 patients annually. It is a large complex of hospital buildings in Prague 5 – Motol.
The restaurants that participate in the project are Rest., Fresh Point Pizza and Fresh Greek in Dejvice and Dvorek Karlín.
We should also mention the support we have received from the media and celebrities who participated in the promotion of #SupportYourLocal. Prague Monitor is a long-term media partner of the Prague Lions team, so supporting this campaign was a clear choice for them.
One of the well-known personalities who participated in this project was Jakub Kohák (Czech film and advertising director, actor, comedian, moderator, writer, athlete and screenwriter). Another was Jakub “IronKap” Studený, a rapper in the band TroubleGang and a teacher.
The #SupportYourLocal campaign is still ongoing! Last year the Prague Lions ran the campaign and with pride, gratitude and enthusiasm, they handed the baton to VŠEM. Vysoká Škola Ekonomie a Managmentu, a.s.(VŠEM) is a Czech private university that obtained state approval to operate in 2001. It offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in full-time, part-time and distance learning formats, in Czech and English. A charity organization and project was created within VŠEM – Studenti VŠEM pomáhají (VŠEM Students Help), which organizes financial and material collections and invites all students, as well as other people, to support areas where help is really needed. Students of VŠEM have already helped the rescue station in the Prague – Libeň district, the Home 4 Pets shelter, organized a public collection for a local food bank, supported the Prague Zoo by purchasing meal vouchers for animals and held a collection for respirators for a senior home. The students have taken the baton and run with it.
The collection is still running. The goal for the next period is to raise money for 100-150 servings of food, so that everyone in the covid department at the Motol University Hospital can receive this gift. The students, under their project Studenti VŠEM pomáhají, invite you to join them in expressing a huge THANK YOU to all doctors and paramedics for their demanding work.
This is a challenge and anyone can join. The collection takes place online via transparent account No. 2301891520/2010.
Come join us and help provide encouragement and energy in the form of excellent food and put a smile on the faces of tired health workers. Join us to help better overcome these difficult times as the world slowly begins to return to normal.
Nor’ Easter
