We are teaming up with the Minnesota Twins, Faribault Woolen Mills, Star Tribune, and CUB to convert excess inventory of the 2019 Homer Hankies into much-needed face masks. Together, we are making over 10,000 face masks to begin, which will be distributed to healthcare providers, emergency service members, patients, and families in Minnesota that are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This red and white Homer Hanky design was introduced by the Star Tribune and CUB for the Minnesota Twins AL Central division championship in 2019 as a promotional item. To combat material and textile waste, we are partnering with the Minnesota Twins and Faribault Woolen Mills to convert the overstock of this Homer Hanky to produce face masks. Each Homer Hanky will yield approximately 5 face masks with little to no cutting waste.
The 2019 Homer Hanky is a 100% cotton terry cloth towel. The resulting masks meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for cloth face coverings, as they will provide comfort and security, while serving as an additional line of defence to droplets. Love Your Melon will be providing the surgical wrap material and elastic for the production of these masks as well as producing 5,000 masks through manufacturing partners to begin. Through rounds of materials sampling with the team at M Health Fairview, surgical wrap was deemed the most readily acceptable and breathable material to repurpose into face masks for visitors and healthcare workers who are not directly patient-facing. Testing of surgical wrap continues nationwide by health care groups to prove its efficacy. It is being used on the frontlines when medical grade masks aren’t available. The Homer Hanky will be used on the outer side of the mask and the surgical wrap material will be used as the lining for extra protection.
Production of the Homer Hanky Masks has begun and we are excited to help transform stock of this iconic Minnesota item into essential, protective material for those who are bravely and selflessly working to help us all during this pandemic.
Thank you for your support! For more mask options, check out our Face Mask Collection.
