LifeCare Alliance Beat the Heat fan program underway

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The 28th annual LifeCare Alliance “Beat the Heat” campaign is back in full swing this year giving fans to people in need.   

A simple box fan can lower a room’s temperature by 10 degrees and that can save lives, which is the goal of the campaign.

LifeCare Alliance wants to make sure some of the most vulnerable in the community who may not have air conditioning or cannot afford high electric bills do not suffer from heat-related illnesses or death.

Margaret Sue Briggs, a client of the organization, believes the fan donated to her has significantly impacted her life.

“It means a whole lot, I can cool off and, you know, I'm on dialysis, so that helps a lot,” Briggs said. “It really helps.”

Many of the clients who benefit from LifeCare Alliance are seniors or medically challenged. LifeCare President and CEO Chuck Gehring knows these people need all the help they can get.

“They are at high, high risk, much higher risk than you or I would be from the heat,” Gehring said. “We can take it, sometimes they can't, especially if you have a diagnosis, you have diabetes, you have heart problems, lung problems, whatever it might be, you're at much greater risk of getting into heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”

Since the drive began in 1996, LifeCare Alliance has given away more than 20,000 fans. The organization said it goes through between 2,000 and 3,000 fans every summer because the need is so great.

“You can easily go into a situation where you can die and there's so many cities with a lot of deaths and it's just so avoidable by buying a $30 fan,” Gehring said.

Public distributions of fans will be held at LifeCare Alliance distribution facility located at 670 Harmon Avenue from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

For more information on how to receive or donate a fan, click here.