Featured Image: Courtesy of Goggles for Docs
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, communities and businesses across the globe are rallying to support medical professionals, ensuring doctors and nurses have the protective equipment necessary to work on the front lines of the crisis. Businesses within the outdoor industry have responded swiftly: brands large and small are halting gear production and committing manufacturing efforts to personal protective equipment. Right now, it seems like the fastest and most effective way for those bigger players to give back, but it leaves us—the rest of the ski community—wondering what, exactly, we can do to help. Here, we’ve highlighted two initiatives that skiers can participate in right now to help give back directly to medical professionals in the hardest hit areas.
Goggles for Docs
It turns out that one piece of equipment skiers are very familiar with can also be quite useful during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As healthcare workers labor tirelessly, some picked up on the fact that ski goggles can be an effective way to protect doctors, nurses and others from contracting the deadly virus during close patient contact.
Goggles for Docs is a donation program that was set up on the fly by Jon Schaefer, the general manager of Berkshire East and Catamount ski resorts in Western Massachusetts. After a series of phone calls, originating from a physician in New York and trickling through friend networks, Schaefer was alerted to the opportunity to help. He sprang into action with a team of others, quickly putting together a website to track donations and coordinate the distribution of ski goggles donated for medical professionals.
The straightforward website works as an interface for potential donors who want to find information on how many goggles are needed and where they need to be shipped; it also provides a place for clinics or hospitals to request goggles for their staff. As of now, 6,160 goggles have been requested and 5,580 have been shipped.
The overall response to the project has been “overwhelming,” said Trevor Crist, a representative of Goggles for Docs. “The need is overwhelming; it’s shocking that healthcare workers are having to resort to scrounging ski goggles to keep themselves safe. We’re all glad we can try to help them.”
Beyond individuals scrounging up new and used goggles from home, goggle companies like anon and Glade Optics have also donated to the cause. “Most major goggle manufacturers have contributed already, or have committed to contribute,” said Crist. “We’re still trying to compile who has sent what exactly, but the contributions from manufacturers and retailers are a significant portion of the totals being donated. In many instances, companies have sent everything they have in stock.”
To donate, visit the Goggles For Docs website and simply follow the directions. In short, click on your own state (or one nearby) and this will lead you to a Google Doc that lists all the details, including how many goggles need to be donated and how to ship them to specific healthcare facilities. If the hospital’s needs have already been fulfilled, find a different one that still needs products delivered. Alternatively, there are a number of places you can drop donations off at locations around the country.
Please Note: Prior to donating goggles, be sure to check the guidelines to ensure everybody involved is being protected.
Maker Exchange
Connecting medical professionals in need of personal protective equipment (PPE) with “makers,” or brands and individuals—that’s the idea behind Jason Levinthal’s latest project called Maker Exchange. After hearing that Rutland Hospital in Vermont was in need of PPE face masks, Levinthal, a ski industry pioneer, worked with friends at White Room Custom Skis to establish a website that bridges the gap between those who need protective equipment and those who can help provide it.
Shaggy Skis in Boyne City, Michigan, and DaleBoot, custom boot-makers based in Salt Lake City, Utah, among others, have already posted face mask and face shield prototypes on the Maker Exchange website. Designers, too, have contributed to the community, providing proprietary designs and instructions on Maker Exchange for anyone to use. It’s this sort of proactive response and collaboration that will help reduce the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
To get involved, check the Maker Exchange website. If you are a “maker,” AKA someone who can help assemble equipment or a brand with the ability to cut, sew and process designs, click here to get involved. For medical professionals requesting PPE, click here.
