'Pictures For Elmhurst' Fundraiser Raises Over $1.3M For Hospital

ELMHURST, QUEENS — A fundraiser for Elmhurst Hospital raked in more than a million dollars by selling prints by New York-based photographers.

The "Pictures for Elmhurst" initiative raised $1.38 million over 10 days to help the municipal hospital purchase life-saving equipment to treat patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Nearly 100 local photographers offered prints of their work, which sold for $150 each. All the proceeds, minus $15 in printing costs for each piece, are being wired directly to the hospital, according to a news release.

New York-based photographer Samantha Casolari started the project after contributing to a similar fundraiser for the Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy.

"The most difficult thing as this lockdown began was feeling powerless to help," Casolari said in a statement on April 10, when the fundraiser launched. "The support from the photo community has been overwhelming; it’s beautiful to witness such generosity and see first-hand how much New Yorkers want to give back to their city.”

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