(From Left to Right) Lance Landers Co-Owner, Mark Martin Kia; Michele Wood, WRHS Marketing Director; Jennifer Sandage, Outpatient Associate Chief Nursing Officer; and Dr. Gilbert Roy Kamoga, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director; stand together for a photo after White River Medical Center received Mark Martin Kia’s donation of more than 100 face shields for medical workers. 

Batesville, AR, June 29, 2020 -- To aid in the fight against COVID-19, Mark Martin Kia has donated more than 100 face shields for medical worker use at  White River Medical Center. This delivery is the latest element of Kia Motors’ Accelerate The Good program, which includes national and local level initiatives implemented in response to the pandemic. Each of Kia’s 757 retailers nationwide are making similar donations to the hospital or medical facility of their choosing, totaling more than 75,000 face shields across all 50 states.

“Kia has really stepped up in this time of need and we are honored to do our part and by helping White River Medical Center in the fight against COVID-19 by providing badly needed face shields to medical workers here in Batesville,” said Jeff Zelasko, General Sales Mangaer of Mark Martin Kia.

“We are grateful for the hard work and dedication these frontline medical workers exhibit every day to save lives in our community.”

“We appreciate the support of our local community during the COVID-19 public health emergency, said Michele Wood, WRHS Director of Marketing.  “Face shields are an important tool in testing and treating COVID-19.  Our thanks to Mark Martin Kia for their thoughtful donation.”

The latest face shield deliveries are the latest in a series of initiatives Kia Motors America implemented in response to COVID-19. The program, called Accelerate The Good, previously saw Kia donating $1 million to multiple non-profit partners that assist homeless youth nationwide, including Covenant House, StandUp for Kids and Family Promise. The $1 million donation was designed to help homeless youth in all 50 states receive much needed shelter and care needed during this time. In addition, earlier face shield donations – more than 300,000 thus far – were made to hospitals and medical facilities in hard hit metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and New York City.