Creates Go Fund Me, “Shades Down, Masks Up” Campaign for More Resources to Produce Protective Equipment in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Local philanthropic consulting firm, The Emergent Group, partners with Polar Shades Sun Control in Henderson to launch a fundraising campaign “Shades Down, Masks Up” for immediate needs in our medical community to mass produce protective respiratory masks and gowns.
Normally a producer of window shades, Polar Shades, which employees more than 70 employees, transformed its plant to produce medical supplies to ensure every first responder and healthcare provider in Nevada have protective gear. While the City of Henderson has generously helped with funding initial supplies, the company is still in need for dollars to aid in this critical growing demand of the products.
“When we heard that our first responders needed supplies, Polar Shades knew we could help. As a family-owned business founded in Las Vegas, we are dedicated to giving back to the community that has allowed us to grow over the past 25 years,” states Jordan Mevius, representative of Polar Shades. “Our family, our dedicated employees want to help and have vowed to work tireless 16 hour shifts to produce these protective gowns and masks.”
Polar Shades is able to produce more than 1,000 gowns per day and are also receiving 30,000 lbs. of polypropylene material from Boston in for the surgical masks. Currently, they have resourced its own materials that they use for window coverings, which all have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, to start the process of creating surgical masks for the valley.
The company is still in need of the following supplies:
◦ Materials- spunbond polypropylene
◦ 1mil – 1.5 mil polyethylene plastic rolls either 12 foot wide or 6 foot wide and length as long as it comes.
◦ Elastic for the masks
◦ 3/16” or 1/4” aluminum nose clips
Additionally, Polar Shades has 4 of the 3D printers, non-stop running to quickly print the reusable masks with disposable filtering cartridges, which will soon need to be replaced. These printers are capable of printing all the masks, and require 4-5 hours per mask.
“Now more than ever our community needs to come together to make a difference for all of the medical professionals on the front line serving as our warriors fighting this pandemic. We are committed to helping our community come together as one. No one is left behind. We are #VegasStronger and hope everyone participates in our “Shades Down, Masks Up” campaign.” says Travis Turner, Partner at The Emergent Group.
The Emergent Group is generously kicking the “Shades Down, Masks Up” campaign off with a $5,000 donation for medical supplies and encourages other companies and individuals to aid in funding the raw materials needed to produce the protective equipment. Link for GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/polar-shades-masks-and-gowns?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
Photos by Erik Kabik
