Clovis Robotics team makes PPE masks for healthcare workers

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- A local high school robotics team is working with the community to make a difference in a very big way!

Dr. Hailey Nelson is a pediatrician at Valley Children's Hospital.

"At Valley Children's we have a universal mask policy and that's to protect the patients as well as the staff," said Dr. Nelson. "Even just sitting in your office, everyone at all times is wearing a mask."

As the need for masks increased, she reached out to the Clovis North robotics team.

"We did different fit tests and figured out how to mold it to your face," said Mary Allen the Robotics advisor for Clovis North High School, "and we tried to figure out how to seal it and we prototyped, we went back and forth several times."

The team then got to work, partnering with Buchanan High School's robotics team, Sanger High School, Madera High School and local businesses to make three different types of masks.

Over 50 people, including students, are sewing, building and printing around the clock.

"My mom is a nurse and she'd come home telling us stories about how they didn't have proper n95 masks for all the workers, and that was one of the things that inspired me," said Clovis North student Natalie Mariscal. "They still need protective gear and if I can do something about that, great."

They drop off 100 masks each week at Valley Children's Hospital, but the orders are still coming in and they're running short on supplies.

"Between these three items we have in the thousands of orders and we're doing our best to fill them," said Allen.

They're asking for the communities help, for cloth, elastic and monetary donations. You can donate at their GoFundMe page.