HOUSTON – Minute Maid Park will host a drop-off donation drive Wednesday as part of an effort to collect personal protective equipment for Houston’s municipal employees and first responders. The drive is the result of a partnership with the City of Houston, the Astros Foundation, Project C.U.R.E. and Cheniere Energy
The drop-off donation drive will take place from noon to 3 p.m. this upcoming Wednesday, April 8 at Minute Maid Park.
Donors can drop off their contributions at the left field entrance of the park, located in the 500 block of Crawford Street, between Texas Avenue and Congress Street.
The drive will accept a variety of personal protective gear, including N95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, gloves, surgical and isolation gowns, protective coveralls and shoe covers, and hand sanitizer containing 70 percent alcohol. Only unopened packages will be accepted.
The City of Houston will distribute all donated items to personnel working on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19, including those working at the city’s COVID-19 mobile testing sites, first responders and essential municipal personnel operating the Houston Parks Department Meal Distribution Centers and the Mayor’s Office for Homeless Initiatives.
The drive will follow all C.D.C. guidelines and operate as a touch-free collection.
The drive is considered an essential activity under Harris County’s “Stay Home, Work Safe” order, which is in effect until April 30.
“P.P.E.s help save lives and protect our first responders, municipal employees, and others on the front lines of the COVID-19 response,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a release. “We must work together to flatten the curve and not overwhelm the healthcare system.”
In a news briefing Friday, Turner said Houston is in continuing need of additional personal protective gear for its first responders and municipal employees. The Houston Fire Department alone uses about 10,000 personal protective items a day, Turner said.
“We’re going through this personal protective equipment at a very fast rate and we know this is not a sprint, this is a marathon,” Turner said.