Detoxification Project for New York Rescue Workers And The Vail Valley Foundation

NEW YORK RESCUE WORKERS DETOXIFICATION PROJECT

Ron Pollack was moved by the events of 9/11 and wanted to help. Prior to retiring from the hedge fund business, he became actively involved with the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, whose purpose is to help the heroes of 9/11. During the rescue and recovery operations, tens of thousands of rescue workers received unprecedented exposures to toxic dust, smoke, gas and fumes; many have developed serious health effects as a result of these exposures.

At the request of union officials and rescue workers, the detoxification project was established to help these men and women recover their health. All project services are provided on a humanitarian basis, at no cost. Ron took on the role of Chairman of the Fundraising Committee in 2002 and worked tirelessly to ensure that the project had the funds it needed to help those who came to it. As Carol Hamaker, Executive Director of the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project states, “Ron really stood up and took a leadership role to get our living heroes some help”.

Ron himself sponsored many rescue workers for the detoxification program over the years. In a letter to Ron, the daughter of one of the many rescue workers that Ron sponsored wrote “My Dad had not been feeling well for months and his symptoms were only worsening despite his more frequent visits to doctors and increases in medication. He was not himself and it was disheartening to watch. He lost eleven of his friends and colleagues of his firehouse on 9/11not to mention other firefighters he knew from other houses. He looked and acted old. He was pale and his mood and energy was overall down. During his first days on his program we saw his mood brighten up. He seemed hopeful and excited. Each day my Dad improved. All of our spirits lifted and we were happy to see him getting back to his old self. On the morning he completed his program he knew he felt “normal” again. These were the best words he could have ever said. Through Ron’s kindness and generosity he is giving so many people the best gift they could ever imagine; recovery, health and the best of all, hope! My Dad has been given back to us and we are all so grateful to him.”

Ron considers his participation in this project to be one of his greatest achievements. With his help, the project has been able to restore quality of life to nearly 1000 rescue workers. These recoveries have brought relief and hope to thousands more of their husbands, wives, children and colleagues. Today, the philanthropic effort that Ron brought life to has grown to include well over 150 foundations, corporations and individual sponsors.

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION

In 2002, Ron Pollack and his family became part-time residents of Vail, Colorado. Ron became involved with the Vail Valley Foundation, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to enhance and sustain the quality of life in the Vail Valley of Colorado.

While in Vail, Ron acted as Chairman for two fund raisers for the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project. In partnership with the Vail Valley Foundation, he sponsored a performance of the “The Guys,” at the Vilar Center for the Arts in Beaver Creek. This acclaimed play focus on a fire chief struggling to prepare eulogies for all his men who were lost at the WTC. For the second, he worked with the Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival on an event held in conjunction with a performance by the New York Philharmonic at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Both fundraisers were successful and resulted in a number of additional rescue workers being sponsored to go through the detoxification program.

The Vail-sponsored firefighter stated after completing his detoxification program “I have regained an energy level that I haven’t had for years! My memory is back and I sleep 8 hours every night without waking up every 2 hours. I am pain free and no longer have my “WTC cough”. I am no longer angry and short tempered. For me, the program was a HUGE success! I can’t thank Ron, the Vail Valley Foundation and the staff of the project enough for this incredible gift, MY HEALTH!”