Pipe manufacturer Tenaris is donating $15,000 to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Sault Ste. Marie.
The donation will go to the Algoma Vaccination Support Council, a joint initiative of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce and the STRIVE Young Professionals Group, which is comprised of more than 40 local businesses, organizations, and community stakeholders.
The council's goals are threefold: to raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccinations, to provide sponsored lunches to volunteers working at the vaccination clinics, and to offer community members transportation to and from the clinics through a ride program established with PUC Services.
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“As a company, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees, our operations, and within our communities. We believe that through vaccination we will regain normalcy,” said Ricardo Prosperi, Tenaris’ president in Canada, in a June 2 news release.
“We applaud the work of the council and leadership of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce and STRIVE YPG. With our donation, we aim to help the many team members and volunteers who are running the daily mass vaccination clinics and sharing information about the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine to keep our community safe.”
Tenaris has been part of the provincial Antigen Screening Program since February and was among the first employers in Sault Ste. Marie to offer voluntary, rapid testing to its employees to reduce risks and limit the virus’ spread.
Sault Chamber president Michael Stone noted that lunches provided to clinic volunteers are being purchased from local restaurants, delis, and caterers in an effort to help those businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.
To date, the initiative has supported more than 30 local food service providers.
