Hanes Brands, the makers of men’s underwear for generations, joined the fight against the Coronavirus by switching their manufacturing to making masks and other PPE’s. Recently, Haynes gave Westchester County 300,000 masks and PPE’s, with County Executive George Latimer and County Legislators traveling across the county to hand them out.
“We are proud to be here to drop off these cloth masks thanks to the generosity of Hanes and efforts of New York State. We are happy to be in different parts of the County, with our masks on, to deliver these for communities to use as needed.,” said Latimer.
“This generous donation is being used to make us all a little bit safer. These deliveries are just one part of our strategy to reduce the spread here in Westchester. The masks were made possible by Hanes Brands Inc. and the work of the State of New York. All communities in Westchester will benefit from these donations. We are happy to be here to deliver in person and show the County is trying to be a good partner to our Towns, Villages and Cities.”
Latimer said every community will get a minimum of 3500-5000 masks with additional supplies going to larger communities like Yonkers, White Plains and Mount Vernon.
Hanes, one of the prime manufacturers of male underwear, offered to begin making PPE at the start of the crisis. The company donated 300,000 units to hard-hit Westchester trusting the county to distribute them to 43 different municipal jurisdictions.
The masks come in boxes of 3500 each, but once unpacked have a white cotton familiar look and feel. Most Westchester communities are giving out the masks to first responders, seniors, and employees who are still at work during the Covid 19 emergency.
County Executive Latimer also accepted a donation of 30,000 masks and other PPE from the American Chines United Care Alliance, (ACUC). Latimer accepted the donation at the County Department of Emergency Services (DES) Building in Valhalla. The donation included masks, hand sanitizers and surgical gowns, from the ACUC and its membership donors. Donations are to be distributed to city organizationsin need of PPE to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
The ACUC Alliance is a recently-launched grassroots coalition of more than 150 Chinese American and Overseas Chinese organizations throughout the Tri-State Area. Members include charitable entities, businesses, alumni associations, other Chinese cultural, religious, and professional groups and individuals, all committed to helping local communities in the fight against this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “The safety of Westchester County’s front line workers – our doctors, nurses and first responders – is absolutely critical in our fight against COVID-19. This PPE donation will go a long way in protecting our health care heroes and preventing the spread of this virus. We are extremely grateful to the ACUC for this generous donation.”
ACUC Board Member Victoria Alberto said: “ACUC is a grassroot organization made up of citizens who believe that we can make a difference for our fellow citizens and this special country we all call home. This disease has devastated our entire world and forever changed how we interact and do business. This virus has caused tremendous suffering- it does not respect political borders, age or health. Our members understand that only by working together, pooling our resources and knowledge can we hope stop and cure this terrible disease. ACUC is committed to our Westchester partners today and in the future as you work to respond and recover from this pandemic.”
The list of donations for Westchester County are as follows:
• Westchester County Government – 20,000 disposable masks
• Westchester Medical Center – $6,300 cash, 100 plastic protective gowns, 400 KN95 masks, 400 gloves, 150 surgical masks, 30 N95 masks
• White Plains Hospital: $13,000 cash, 600 KN95 masks, 1,200 Surgical masks
• Town of Greenburgh: 2,000 surgical masks
The donations will be distributed from the Westchester County DES Warehouse. This has been Westchester County’s largest emergency response operation to date.
