OCONOMOWOC — You may know someone or have heard of someone sewing masks for frontlines workers, immunocompromised individuals, or other emergency personnel; however, you probably haven't heard about someone doing it at the scale of one woman in Oconomowoc.
Introducing Tricia Griswold. She will sew her 1,300th mask by the end of the week.
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"I get up, and I start sewing them at seven, and sometimes I go till 1:00, 2:00 in the morning," the Oconomowoc sewer said.
The most she has sewn in one day was 67, but Griswold tends to average 50 a day she said.
It all started six weeks ago. Since then, she has included her daughters as well some friends in making the masks.
Tricia Griswold has made nearly 1,300 masks for frontline workers and immunocompromised people. The most masks she sewed in a day was 67. pic.twitter.com/Jgp2EueVX2
— James Groh (@JamesGroh_) April 21, 2020
"It makes me feel kind of useful knowing I can help," Griswold said.
All of the masks are compliant with CDC guidelines. She also said nurses would send her steps on how to make the kinds they need.
At first, she was making these specifically for frontline workers like nurses. That transitioned to police departments and other first responders, and eventually, word got out, and she began sending them all over the country.
Her masks have gone to people in Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, and Florida. Griswold said that they have even gone to the USNS Mercy, a military hospital boat docked in Los Angeles.
"I got a lot of texts, a lot of messages from people who don't have anything. When they go to work and it kind of just makes me - it pushes me harder to just to make sure they have something," she said.
She said there are no plans on stopping as long as there is a need.