MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Two of the biggest sports teams in Miami have partnered with local organizations to make face masks out of unsold jerseys that will be given to those in the community who need them.
The Miami Heat teamed up with Refried Apparel. They’re turning $100,000 in unsold jerseys into over 7,000 masks for medical staff, first responders, nursing home staff and essential businesses.
The Miami Marlins linked up with #WRECares. They’re donating 1,000 items to be made into more than 7,500 masks for City of Miami Police and the University of Miami Health System.
Over at Miami International Airport, American Airlines also got creative to help keep their employees safe. Many of these employees have never sewn a day in their life before, but they learned to help make the masks.
“We are considered an essential business, so we’re coming to work every single day, and our employees are exposed to the public,” American Airlines spokesperson Suzanne Peters said. “We want to make sure they’re safe, and we’re also respectful that the N95 masks are intended for the medical community, so we want to make sure that we are taking care of our employees but also being respectful that the medical community is able to get the masks that are sourced for them.”
The American Airlines workers are averaging about 100 masks a day.
“I went through Sept. 11, 9/11, this is my family, and for me to this, I mean, we’re resilient, so I’m glad and excited to be able to help out my family,” Scivic Pena said.
7News cameras captured a production line the company has created inside the Admirals Club at the airport.
Peters said the goal for the company right now is to have one mask per employee and then raising the capacity to two masks per employee.
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