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How the Colorado Rockies face mask project began and flourished

ByNoah Yingling|
UNSPECIFIED, GERMANY - APRIL 22: In this combination of nine separate images shot over the last few weeks people wearing home-made protective face masks are seen in Berlin, Leipzig and Bitterfeld during the novel coronavirus crisis on April 22, 2020 in Unspecified, Germany. Germany is taking its first steps to ease restrictions on public life that had been imposed weeks ago in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Shops across the country are reopening, factory assembly lines are restarting and high schools are holding final exams. Health leaders are monitoring the process carefully for any resurgence of coronavirus infections. The number of infections nationwide is still rising, though so far at a declining rate. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
UNSPECIFIED, GERMANY - APRIL 22: In this combination of nine separate images shot over the last few weeks people wearing home-made protective face masks are seen in Berlin, Leipzig and Bitterfeld during the novel coronavirus crisis on April 22, 2020 in Unspecified, Germany. Germany is taking its first steps to ease restrictions on public life that had been imposed weeks ago in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Shops across the country are reopening, factory assembly lines are restarting and high schools are holding final exams. Health leaders are monitoring the process carefully for any resurgence of coronavirus infections. The number of infections nationwide is still rising, though so far at a declining rate. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – AUGUST 19: Walt Weiss #22 of the Colorado Rockies rubs his forehead after making a pitching change in the 10th inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on August 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 19: Walt Weiss #22 of the Colorado Rockies rubs his forehead after making a pitching change in the 10th inning of a game against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on August 19, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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The Drake family

Paul Drake was a respiratory therapist and a director of respiratory therapy for over 20 years before retiring. Since retiring, he and his family started up a handmade soap company called Twisted Rabbit Creations.

When the pandemic started, though, they started making masks for their family (since their son, daughter, and son-in-law each work in a hospital and they weren’t fans of the masks that the hospital was providing) and to sell on their website.

The Rockies heard of the family through Twitter and reached out to them so that they could help make ends meet with their small business and also make the masks in general. They have been working overtime throughout the pandemic as Drake said, in an exclusive conversation with Rox Pile, that he and his family have been working “10-14 hours a day, every day for the last six weeks.”

Before the pandemic, they were mainly getting orders for their soap in Colorado but now, with the help of Rockies Twitter, Drake told Rox Pile that they are getting orders for their products from thousands of miles away, including New York, Maryland, and Maine.

With the Rockies jerseys that Valentin provided the Drake family for the masks, they made nearly 300 masks in a week.

"“For me…[the families] are the ones who are the stars of this,” said Valentin. “I can’t even tell you how many hours they’ve probably invested in their living rooms, their basements, making these and for me, this was a project that is the epitome of ‘people helping people’ and I think that’s one thing that we can all be doing right now is thinking about how we can engage in our communities and help people even if we can’t be together physically.”"

You can follow Christina Martinez on Twitter @OrangeChrustina and Twisted Rabbit Creations on Twitter @TwistedRabbit_ or visit their website www.twistedrabbitcreations.com.

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