Page 22 • April 18, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE

Walsh Construction, one of thelargest contractors in the city ofChicago and in the United States, isleading the temporary conversion of aportion of the McCormick PlaceConvention Center into an AlternateCare Facility (ACF) for novel coron-avirus (COVID-19) patients. The facil-ity will have the capacity to treat up to3,000 low-to-moderate acuity patientsacross three of the convention center’shalls, where patients will be separatedby level of care required. The Metropolitan Pier and

Exposition Authority (MPEA), in asso-ciation with the United States ArmyCorps of Engineers (USACE), willdirect the conversion of McCormickPlace into a facility focused on patientcare, infection control, fire protectionand life safety. The ACF is designed torelieve pressure on the hospital systemby freeing up beds for more patientswith severe COVID-19 cases in antici-pation of the surge in positive COVID-19 diagnoses to come. The temporary field hospital is

expected to be complete by April 24,construction on the first 500 beds wascompleted on April 3. “We mobilized and began work

immediately,” said Thomas Caplis,vice president of healthcare at WalshConstruction. “Walsh Construction isproud to support these extraordinaryefforts of MPEA and Army Corps of

Engineers that will offer essential careto our Chicago neighbors and muchneeded assistance to our vital health-care system.” Chicago-based Walsh Construction

has a successful history of workingdirectly with USACE and the FederalEmergency Management Agency(FEMA) to renovate and constructfacilities and infrastructure on a fast-track basis. Throughout the COVID-19pandemic, Walsh has assisted health-care institutions with trailers, tents,cargo boxes, negative pressure rooms

and establishing other temporary meas-ures on an as-needed basis. Walsh Construction is the fifth

largest healthcare contractor in theUnited States, providing constructionservices and delivering healing envi-ronments across North America. TheAcute Care Facility at McCormickPlace adds to a list of patient-first proj-ects that include new hospitals, emer-gency departments, critical care units,outpatient services and more. For more information, visit walsh-

group.com.

Walsh Construction Converts Portionof McCormick Place Into Care Facility

Walsh Construction, one of the largest contractors in the city of Chicago and in the United States, is leading thetemporary conversion of a portion of the McCormick Place Convention Center into an Alternate Care Facility(ACF) for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients.

As the events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic con-tinue to evolve rapidly, the Caterpillar Foundation, the phil-anthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., announced it is committing$8.5 million to support global communities, including under-served populations, who are affected by the virus. The Foundation’s investment will support nonprofit

organizations who are working to help prevent, detect andrespond to the pandemic; providing resources to hospitals,medical staff and patients; addressing food insecurity; andenabling online STEM and coding education for youthimpacted by school closures. “These investments are an important expression of our

company’s values,” said Jim Umpleby, Caterpillar chairmanand chief executive officer. “As we all work together to fightthe pandemic, the Foundation’s resources will provide essen-tial support in communities around the world.” The Caterpillar Foundation also is expanding its existing

U.S. Matching Gifts Program to provide a 2:1 match onemployee and retiree donations made to eligible nonprofitsbeginning March 16 through May 1, 2020, per the programconditions that can be found at: caterpillar.com/matching-gifts.“The Caterpillar Foundation is focused on building more

sustainable and resilient communities, helping them emergestronger together during this unprecedented time,” said AshaVarghese, Caterpillar Foundation president. “Our employeesand retirees give so generously, and we are proud to amplifytheir gifts and support our many nonprofit partners workingtirelessly to keep our communities safe and prosperous.” The Foundation’s $8.5 million investment is being distrib-

uted among a number of organizations and COVID-19 fundsaround the world, including: • United Nations Foundation/World Health Organization

Solidarity Response Fund; • King Baudouin Foundation Fund for Italy; • Global Foodbanking Network Global Fund; • Feeding America Response Fund; • Boys & Girls Clubs of America; and • Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund. Earlier this year, the Foundation made a $250,000 dona-

tion to the China Women’s Development Foundation to pro-vide healthcare facilities with critical medical protectivematerials in China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak ini-tially occurred. In addition to these organizations, theFoundation is collaborating with our global facilities to sup-port local nonprofits contributing to the COVID-19 responseefforts. The Caterpillar Foundation also is a member of the

American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program(ADGP). This program provides a funding base that allowsthe Red Cross to respond immediately to the needs of indi-viduals and families impacted by disasters in the UnitedStates and around the world. Through our ADGP support, theAmerican Red Cross is able to help people prepare for,respond to and recover from disasters around the world inpartnership with international Red Cross societies, includingassisting the International Federation of Red Cross as it coor-dinates a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit caterpillar.com and caterpil-

lar.com/foundation.

Cat Commits $8.5Mto Global COVID-19Response Efforts

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), in associationwith the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will direct theconversion of McCormick Place into a facility focused on patient care,infection control, fire protection and life safety.