CHICAGO (BRAIN) — SRAM, Thule and Aventon have joined a growing group of industry brands making or donating masks for COVID-19 responders.
Employees at SRAM's Zipp facility in Indianapolis are now making masks for hospitals in the area.
"SRAM has partnered with Ascension and Community Hospitals in the Indianapolis area. They have provided us materials, and we have provided manufacturing expertise. We are currently helping to produce 2,000+ protective masks per day and have capacity for more," the company said.
SRAM said it will continue to reach out to more potential partners, hospitals, and care centers, and we are very proud to support this effort. For anyone interested in producing personal protective equipment for their local health care systems can contact the American Hospital Association.
Thule is now making 3D printed face mask components at its regional headquarters in Connecticut. The 3D printers at the facility are normally used for rapid prototyping and testing. Now Thule Group staff are using the machines to create plastic components for face shields to aid hospital staff during the current pandemic.
"St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut, located near the Thule Group headquarters in Seymour, Connecticut, put the call out to local businesses that have access to 3D printers looking for their help. Seeking assistance in making plastic frames used to make face shields for hospital staff, Thule Group staff were quick to respond," the company said.
The team is printing components for the shields daily and dropping them off at a nearby collection area. In cooperation with other local companies who answered the call to help, they are collectively hoping to assemble 20,000 face shields in the next 20 days.
Aventon Bicycles, an Ontario, California-based e-bike manufacturer and retailer, is donating thousands of surgical masks and N95 masks to two Los Angeles area hospitals in need.
Luis Razo, the operations manager at Aventon Bicycles, said the company will donate 4,000 surgical masks and 1,000 N95 masks to Loma Linda University Medical Center and Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where supplies are running short.
The company also donated 2 E-bikes to Loma Linda University Medical Center. It’s a personal mission for Luis Razo. His wife, Gracie, is an RN at Loma Linda Hospital, on the front lines of this pandemic.
“When we told the hospital about the mask donation, they explained they needed help transporting them and that’s when we decided to donate the two e-bikes as well,” said Razo. “I feel fortunate to work for Aventon Bicycles, which cares about its community and supports a cause that is so near and dear to my heart. Aventon donating these e-bikes and masks to Loma Linda Hospital, where my wife works as an RN, reinforces its commitment to people and shows how much they care. In this crisis, everyone must do their part because it’s the right thing to do.”
Aventon also noted that e-bike sales are surging during the pandemic. March sales were up 266% compared to March 2020.
De Soto, Santini, Kitsbow, Industry Nine, Osprey, Vermarc, 3T and other brands have announced they are making masks or other gear for health care workers.
