CHICAGO — McDonald’s is donating 1 million protective face masks for Chicago and Illinois healthcare providers on the front lines against COVID-19.
The company responded to an appeal by the city of Chicago for donations and volunteers.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the fast-food giant came across the N95 masks as it searched for non-medical grade masks for McDonald’s employees nationwide. The company was able to purchase a large stock of masks and immediately sourced them for its hometown city, Chicago.
McDonald’s will donate 750,000 masks to Chicago and 250,000 to the state of Illinois.
The city will determine a delivery plan to address locations where the greatest needs for masks currently exists.
The N95 masks are being hunted by local and state authorities across the country. The coveted masks form a seal around the nose and mouth and block airborne particles from getting in, the Chicago Tribune reports.
In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker said he was grateful for McDonald’s contribution of masks.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot released the following statement, saying, “I want to thank McDonald’s Corporation for heeding the call to donate supplies and helping us protect workers with the highest exposure to this virus. We are thankful and proud to have a hometown hero like McDonald’s as our partner during this time.”
