In a continuing effort to assist local healthcare providers with the protective equipment they need, Life Fitness/Cybex resources are being used to create hand-sewn face masks. The initiative is led by Kris Morgan and Lisa Boyd, who are Life Fitness employees. Morgan is pictured on the far left of the submitted photo. Boyd is second from the right. The two delivered 275 masks to representatives of Owatonna Allina Hospital.

That donation is the first stage of a plan to sew 1,000 masks to specifications of the Allina Health Network. Morgan and Boyd are using Life Fitness upholstery department to sew the masks. Life Fitness Plant Manager John Champa says, "Healthcare workers on the front lines need our support now more than ever, and we knew we had to do our part."

"Our employees wanted to help and we are able to use resources in our upholstery department to sew masks that will serve workers in our community," he added.

Cybex recently teamed up with Black Forest Ltd of Owatonna to donate several hundred of the higher level protective N95 masks to the Owatonna Healthcare Campus. Another collaborative effort between Poly Plastics, FoamCraft Packaging, Cindy's Tailoring, and the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce is creating face shields that medical professionals also need.

Community members in general have also been sewing face masks for medical personnel. More and more people in the general public and workers at essential businesses are wearing masks as well.

 

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