Press Release, 14th of october
Geneva, 11th October 2016 – Mercy Ships is organizing, for the first time, a gift day called “Mercy Ships Cargo Day†on 19th October. The shipping and maritime trading community is invited to raise funds for this NGO which offers treatment on board the largest civilian hospital ship in the world to people from developing nations, as well as medical training and refurbishment of hospital infrastructure.
For this operation, charterers will designate “Mercy Cargoesâ€: 50% of the commission on freight collected on these shipments during the day of October 19th by the port agents and the inspection companies will be donated to Mercy Ships. Organizations within the maritime sector can also make direct donations via the website at http://cargo.darwinstaging.com/about-page/#how-can-i.
A large proportion of the most important organizations within this sector are participating in the operation: http://cargo.darwinstaging.com/list-of-participants
The funds raised by this initiative will enable the continuation of medical treatment and training in Benin, where the hospital ship Africa Mercy is anchored until June 2018.
More information can be found via this link: https://mercyshipscargoday.org/
On this same website, Bryce Wagner, the director of Mercy Ships Global, will be available for a Live Chat on 10th October from 13:00 to 19:00 (CET). You can ask him your questions and interact directly with him!
Media contacts
René Lehmann, Executive Director Mercy Ships Switzerland, [email protected], +41 31 812 40 32
Bryce Wagner, Executive Director Mercy Ships Global, [email protected], +41 79 263 29 81
Rohan Sant, Voxia communication, [email protected], +41 22 591 22 63
Corinne Kemp, Communication Mercy Ships Cargo Day, [email protected],+41 76 561 65 54
MERCY SHIPS OVERVIEW
5 billion people worldwide cannot access essential surgery.
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to offer highly specialized surgical services free of charge to those in developing countries who have no such access, alongside the strengthening of local skills through training and sustainable development. Founded in 1978 in Lausanne by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries, providing services to the value of more than one billion dollars and directly impacting more than 2.5 million beneficiaries. Each year, several hundred volunteers from more than 40 countries commit to Mercy Ships. Professionals such as surgeons, dentists, nurses, healthcare trainers, teachers, cooks, sailors, engineers and agriculturists give their time and their expertise. www.mercyships.ch/presse