GOUVERNEUR,  N.Y. – Thanks to Holy Shirt!, a local apparel company based in Syracuse, N.Y., all employees of Kinney Drugs across New York and Vermont were supplied with reusable face masks for everyday use. On April 13th, more than 4,000 masks were ordered from the local vendor and in only five days, Kinney Drugs had supplies for all employees.

“Globally, face masks and face coverings of all kinds have been in high demand and extremely short supply,” said Rick Cognetti, vice president of marketing, merchandising and retail operations for Kinney Drugs. “We were very happy to partner with another local business to source this product. Face masks are an essential item needed to protect our employees and help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

High demand for face coverings began early in the surge of COVID-19 cases, leading to increased pressures on the supply chain, when mandatory regulations were put in place.  “We were trying really hard to source reusable masks from a lot of different avenues that turned out to be dead ends,” said Lindsay Sterbank, associate category manager at Kinney Drugs. “On a hunch, we gave Holy Shirt! a call and they immediately got to work and made it happen for us quickly, knowing Kinney’s urgent need to protect our employees.”

“Holy Shirt! is grateful for the partnership and the support from Kinney Drugs during a very challenging time for many small businesses. We are glad that we could provide high-quality masks in a timely manner and help ensure the safety of Kinney’s essential workers,” said John Groat, Holy Shirt! president. Because of their involvement in sourcing masks, Holy Shirt! has been given a NYS exemption deeming its business essential. As a result, Holy Shirt! continues to provide customizable masks to the public online and during pop-up shops at their Erie Boulevard location. “We are very proud to support our community during this unprecedented time,” added Groat.