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Capitals center Lars Eller donates walk-through sanitizing machine to homeless shelter

Eller donated a "Healthe Cleanse Portal," which is a sanitizing UV light machine, to Central Union Mission to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

WASHINGTON — Washington Capitals center Lars Eller had seen many of his teammates and other professional athletes helping first responders, and those on the frontlines, battling this virus every day. But he wanted to do something different, while still helping his community. Eller saw a population in great need: those experiencing homelessness. 

He donated a “Healthe Cleanse Portal” to Central Union Mission to help protect employees and guests at the shelter from harmful pathogens, including the coronavirus. It’s designed to deactivate viruses on our surfaces, lowering the risk of disease transmission, using UV light frequency.

Eller thought this would be a good way to help those in confined spaces who may not have access to healthcare, or ways to prevent themselves from getting the virus.

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"It felt really good, you could tell people are really appreciative of the donation," Eller said. "There was a lot of hype about it, a lot of smiles. They just don't have the same safety net that a lot of other people have, and we thought that with donating one of these portals, you can really decrease the risk of spreading COVID-19, but also any kind of harmful pathogens entering or leaving a building" 

The technology looks similar to a metal detector at the entrance. A person walks through it, and after about 20 seconds of standing underneath it, the UV light frequency destroys any harmful pathogens on the skin or other surfaces. 

This device will help to curb the spread of germs and diseases inside the shelter, and Eller said people he met with at Central Union Mission were very grateful to receive this donation, while we all battle this virus together. 

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