Solon Residents Sew 1,000 Masks For University Hospitals

SOLON, OH — As the coronavirus outbreak spreads through the state, University Hospitals has asked Northeast Ohioans to assemble 100,000 fabric masks for distribution. To help the hospital meet its goal, members of the Solon Schools community stepped up over the past week.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Solon students and parents, 1,000 fabric masks were donated to the hospital system on Wednesday. It was the culmination of hours of labor.

Heather Ferris, a Solon resident and PTA member, was tasked with leading the project. She was hesitant to make any promises to hospital leadership.

"I was not sure people would respond. I didn’t know if people would be willing to sew. I put it out on our Facebook pages and then the city of Solon put it on their FB page. The response was...overwhelming," she said.

Ferris' email inbox was flooded with people volunteering to help. She had to turn people away because she didn't have enough materials to accommodate everyone. Some people were asking to sew 2,000 masks...by themselves.

Every volunteer who participated in the project received a kit with fabric, connecting ties and a metal nose clip — with enough materials to make 10 masks in each package. The masks could be assembled by hand or with the aid of a sewing machine. And people were eager to help.

"It was an incredible outpouring of support. People just stepped up. People were really generous with their time and efforts," Ferris said.

One of those volunteers was 8th grader Ava Kanj and her family. Along with her sister, Kaia, the Kanjs spent 15 hours over one weekend sewing 62 masks. They used a sewing machine and did some of the work by hand.

"I just wanted to help out," Ava said. "A lot of people in Solon were doing this project."

And with so much help, 1,000 masks were quickly sewn together. Ferris collected the completed kits and dropped them off at University Hospitals on Wednesday afternoon.

"The outpouring of appreciation from first responders in our area has been overwhelming. Its just been cool to watch the community come together," Ferris said.

The masks will not be worn by first responders but will be offered to visitors at hospitals, patients doing drive-thru testing, and as a last-ditch alternative for COVID-19 patients, according to University Hospitals.

Anyone interested in sewing masks for University Hospitals should visit the group's website.