A Virginia National Guard guardsman helps load a shipment of 50,000 Hanes face masks to be distributed in Henrico County, Virginia, over the Memorial Day weekend (Photo: Business Wire)

The Virginia National Guard has jumpstarted its upcoming weekend of caring by loading two light medium tactical vehicles with 50,000 face masks to be distributed to those in need near Richmond, VA.

The Guardsmen pulled out of HanesBrands’ distribution centre near Winston-Salem carrying more than 1,280 pounds of face masks on their six-hour journey of care to Henrico County.

Hundreds of volunteers are assisting the county and the Virginia National Guard to assemble care packages containing washable and reusable 3-ply all-cotton Hanes face masks to assist in the community’s efforts to quell the spread of COVID-19. The care packages are being distributed throughout the Memorial Day weekend.

“We are proud to be the supplier of face masks needed by Henrico County and transported by the Guard for the care-package program,” said Ray Randazzo, business development director at HanesBrands. “Just two months ago in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, our company pivoted our production capabilities to start making face masks for the first time. We are now quickly helping businesses and organizations meet their needs to reopen safely by supplying millions of masks.”

Legacy Medical Sales and JuMP Medical Supply Co., procurement partners for the Virginia National Guard, worked with HanesBrands to expedite the face mask shipment in a matter of days to assure availability for the Henrico Country event.

The Virginia National Guard is a major contributor to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guard has collected nearly 12,600 samples for COVID-19 testing, performed nearly 1,700 mask fit tests, distributed nearly 60,700 pounds of food and has driven more than 49,000 miles delivering supplies and testing kits to multiple locations across the state.

HanesBrands expects to launch sales of Hanes face masks to consumers online and in leading retail stores within the next several weeks. In addition, the company is supplying the U.S. government with more than 320 million reusable cloth face coverings and more than 20 million reusable long-sleeve medical gowns.

www.hanesbrands.com