All fire departments in Hubbard County will be collecting homemade masks Saturday.
“Governor Walz signed a proclamation that this is homemade mask week throughout the state,” said Nevis Fire Chief Chris Norton. “We will accept donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are supposed to go to a congregate living facility, but Nevis and Akeley don’t have any congregate living facilities. So my plan is to find people in our area that don’t have a face mask, especially those who are elderly, and get the face masks to folks that need them. We’ll do whatever we can to help them out. That’s our goal. We will have a location, maybe a tote, at the fire department so people can drop them off without having any interaction.”
Anyone who needs a mask can leave their name and phone number at Nevis City Hall (652-3866).
According to Park Rapids Fire Chief Terry Long, homemade masks can be dropped off at the fire hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
“The fire hall is not manned every day,” Long stressed. “We’ll be there during those hours to receive those masks.”
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Long said the purpose of the collection, according to Walz’s proclamation, is to make the masks available “wherever necessary” – particularly for healthcare workers and first responders.
A post on the Park Rapids Fire Department’s Facebook page encourages the community to look to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health for patterns.
“Let's overwhelm our frontline workers with support and continue to keep our community healthy,” the department posted.
The Menahga Fire Department is also participating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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