Community Volunteers Sew Masks, Surgical Gowns for Hospital, Fire Department Staff

A team of Kittitas County volunteers combined their sewing expertise last week to outfit staff at Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) and the Kittitas Fire Department (KFD) with some much-needed protective equipment as they battle the COVID-19 outbreak.

The group, led by Pam Robinson, stitched together 180 masks and 60 surgical gowns for KVH, plus 30 more masks for the fire department. They delivered the masks and gowns to the hospital on April 10 as the staff prepares for a potential increase in the number of infected patients.

The CWU costume shop also got involved in the effort, opening up its supply closet to the volunteers.

"We simply could not have done all of this without a great community," Robinson said. "When we ran out of elastic and the stores were back-ordered, wonderful things happened."

Small businesses, including the recently closed Purple Door Fabrics, also contributed to the project, donating 66 yards of fabric and other supplies, such as elastic. Meanwhile, CWU theater professor and costume designer Scott Robinson - Pam's husband - developed a pattern for the gowns and provided sewing instructions to the volunteers.

The project started in late March when KFD community volunteer Angela Kelsey began searching for people to help support the needs of the fire department during the outbreak. Kelsey called on her friends in the Days For Girls club, which meets once a month.

Many of the sewing team volunteers are involved in the Ellensburg chapter of Days For Girls, an international nonprofit dedicated to providing feminine hygiene kits and educational materials to young women around the world. Everyone involved has been overwhelmed by the community response.

"Friends continue to come out of the woodwork with time and supplies - all donated," Pam Robinson said.

If you would like to donate mask and gown supplies, visit donate.daysforgirls.org/eburg.

Media contact: David Leder, Department of Public Affairs, David.Leder@cwu.edu.