LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With many districts heading back to in-person classes after being out nearly a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, first lady Britainy Beshear said the Ford Motor Company has donated one million masks to schools.
The auto giant has also committed to giving 500,000 more in the coming weeks.
“We are so close to beating this virus and continuing our path forward to becoming a stronger Kentucky,” Beshear said. “While declining case numbers and three effective vaccines are great news as more students return to in-person classes, we must remain vigilant in our fight against this virus, with safety as a top priority. Thank you to Ford for thinking of our schools and for being such a great partner to Team Kentucky.”
Those masks will be distributed by the Kentucky Department of Public Health and Department of Education.
It’s been seven months since Coverings for Kids was started to help supply masks to school children, teachers and support staff.
The announcement from Ford, officials said, will add to the 320,000 masks already donated to the program by various community groups, businesses and others.
This isn’t the first time Ford has helped with mask efforts. The company also donated 2 million masks to the state’s PPE stockpile which was one of the largest gifts of PPE ever received.
“Ford is honored to provide Kentucky with child-sized face masks during this critical point as children transition back to school,” Matt Godlewski, vice president of U.S. government relations, Ford Motor Company, said. “We value our partnership with the commonwealth and are grateful to play a role in its commitment to protect Kentuckians against COVID-19.”
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