Car Dealers Donate Over 50K Face Masks To Suffolk Residents

PATCHOGUE, NY — Suffolk County car dealers are working to help donate thousands of face masks to Suffolk County residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Franchise car auto dealers across the county have been working through the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA) to donate 50,000 face masks to local residents during the pandemic. The donation was part of a larger donation of half a million masks — including 100,000 for Long Island — that GNYADA is making to 12 downstate counties.

On Wednesday, GNYADA delivered 50,000 3-ply paper masks to County Executive Steven Bellone’s office, who will then give them out to individuals who need them in the area, including seniors, essential workers, and other vulnerable populations.

Earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order mandating New Yorkers to wear some sort of facial covering such as a bandana or mask when they're in public and cannot socially distance themselves from others. This created a bigger needs for face masks, particularly for the more vulnerable residents, so car dealers decided to step up and find a way to help.

Photo by Dominick Totino

"When New Yorkers are in need, time and again, franchise new car dealers and their employees are always there for the communities where they live and work. Auto dealers are the brick-and-mortar backbones of Main Streets and neighborhoods throughout the region, supporting little leagues, hospitals, schools, senior centers, and many charities large and small," GNYADA President Mark Schienberg said. "During this extremely challenging time, when so many New
Yorkers are suffering, losing loved ones, losing jobs, and struggling, car dealerships are once again here to contribute."

New car dealers are still considered essential businesses. Service departments must fix cars and perform roadside assistance not only for other essential workers like doctors and nurses, but also for ordinary people who need to go to the grocery stores, the pharmacy, and carry out the necessities of daily lives.