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Thursday Is Turning Old Merch into Masks for Fans and Healthcare Professionals

To face mask or not to face mask? That’s been the question these past few weeks, with the CDC finally suggesting we wear cloth coverings when in public to combat the spread of COVID-19. With the item now in hot demand (just take a look at Amazon), the band is now offering masks made from old merch — with all proceeds going toward making more masks.

“Last week we announced that we had started the process of turning appropriate stock merchandise from our web store into fabric face masks for frontline medical workers and essential personnel and said that further information about how you can all help would follow later in the week,” the band wrote on Instagram Monday.

They then detailed how they pulled stock from their webstore and sent it to “various grassroots organizations in NJ who will convert them into ‘fabric’ face masks to assist the frontline workers.” Namely, NJ Maskmakers and FaceMaskWarriors.

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Last week we announced that we had started the process of turning appropriate stock merchandise from our web store into fabric face masks for frontline medical workers and essential personnel and said that further information about how you can all help would follow later in the week. Here are those details: we have pulled stock from our web store and, today, we are shipping them to various grassroots organizations in NJ who will convert them into ‘fabric’ face masks to assist the frontline workers. Thank you to NJ Maskmakers and FaceMaskWarriors for everything you are doing for our community. Since so many people have written us to ask for one of the “Thursday t-shirt face masks” we have also decided on a second tier of mask-making effort: These dove branded masks will be sold starting Wednesday (1pm EST) in our web-store (link in bio) – 100% of the proceeds from these will go to producing more masks. If you buy one then a minimum of two 'factory' masks (and even more when we scale) will be donated to one of the NY/NJ area hospitals. We have also come up with a couple of isolation related items (jigsaws / playing cards / candles) that will hopefully help relieve the boredom and try and cultivate some sense of distraction, fun and irony! All new items will be sold based on pre-orders for a period of 10 days before we manufacture and send to you. If we don’t reach a minimum order requirement on a specific item then we will simply issue refunds! We hope that this approach can bring a smile to some faces, while providing some masks for essential workers. Finally, In a bit of lighter personal news: Thursday welcomed a new family member into the fold last week. Congratulations to our drummer, Tucker, on the birth of his daughter – Birdie! Stay home, stay safe, stay true. Love, Thursday

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Due to demand from fans, they also started producing masks for purchase, available in their webstore Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST. “If you buy one, then a minimum of two ‘factory’ masks (and even more when we scale) will be donated to one of the NY/NJ area hospitals,” they added.

Masks have been in short supply since the coronavirus hit the U.S., with some medical professionals only receiving one mask to do their vital work. Scores of musicians — from James Taylor to Rihanna — have come forward in an effort to provide hospitals with the money and equipment they need to continue normal operations.

New York currently has the most cases of COVID in the U.S., with 130,703 infected at last count and 4,758 deaths ( the New York Times). New Jersey has 41,090 cases, with 1,005 deaths.