Add 2,000 more masks to the growing list of protective equipment donations made to Niagara Health in the past few weeks to keep health-care teams and patients safe.

Thursday, John Chemilian, a property management manager and group public relations director for Markham-based JD Development, dropped the masks off at Welland Civic Square.

They were picked up by Mayor Frank Campion and economic development director Dan Degazio before being taken to the Welland hospital.

"I thank John and Julia (Zhang, JD Development's chief executive officer) for their generosity and their interest in helping us out here in Welland," said Campion.

"I am really happy that they will be helping our frontline workers in a meaningful way."

Chemilian said it's not the first donation the company, primarily known for building highrise student accommodation, has made to help frontline workers in the province.

He said masks imported from China before the pandemic have been donated in Barrie, Stouffville, Waterloo and Cambridge.

"We had 15,000 masks and were expecting more," he said, adding some of the masks ordered after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic made it through to the company.

Chemilian's firm doesn't have any developments in the Rose City, but had been looking to build affordable housing and student residences.

He said the proposed projects didn't materialize, but that's not to say there won't be something in the future.

Campion said the city has developed a great relationship with the development company over the past few years.

Niagara Health Foundation president and chief executive officer Roger Ali called it "truly heartwarming to see this act of kindness."

As of Wednesday, the foundation said, 8,868 N95 masks, 2,866 gowns, 1,411 face shields, 122,698 pairs of gloves and 13,135 procedure masks had been donated to the health system.

Anyone with items to donate can email foundation@niagarahealth.on.ca or visit www.SupportNHF.com.

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