SHA alumni project salutes Dr. Fauci, supports restaurants and healthcare providers

Prior to launching GoFauci.com, founders Spencer Liebowitz-Rothstein ’19 (SHA) and Max Weiss ’19 (SHA) believed it was important to spend time researching potential donation partners whose goals aligned with their own. Since Weiss had worked as a server in an Ithaca restaurant as a student, he and his former classmate were determined to find a donation structure that combined support for two devastated service industries, restaurants and healthcare.

The result of their research is GoFauci, a partnership with the Feeding People Foundation that supports restaurants and frontline healthcare workers across New York City. The digital GoFauci.com store includes hoodies, sweaters, and T-shirts that salute healthcare workers and Weill Cornell Medicine graduate Anthony Fauci, M.D. ’66, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whom many consider to be the face of America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Per item sold on the site, up to two meals from local restaurants are delivered to healthcare workers across the city’s five boroughs through Feeding People.

“We view Dr. Anthony Fauci as an American hero, who puts the American people at ease during these times,” Liebowitz-Rothstein said. “He is an icon in the medical community and has led the fight against almost every epidemic since 1984, whether HIV, SARS, H1N1, or Ebola. For that reason, we depict him throughout our website and on the apparel as a superhero.”

When initially researching potential partners, they stumbled upon the Feeding People Foundation team on social media and were immediately attracted by their mission to leverage local small businesses to provide healthy meal donations. Through this new combined effort, the public can now wear their appreciation for Dr. Fauci and all the healthcare heroes on the front lines while supporting local restaurants and helping provide meals to healthcare professionals.

“During our time in quarantine, we wanted to challenge ourselves to create something entrepreneurial and impactful,” Weiss said. “In the future, we want to reflect on the pandemic assured that we used our time wisely and precipitated positivity in those who aren’t as fortunate as us.”

To date, close to 1,000 meals have been raised by the partnership.