Bates rallies fabric shops and home sewers to churn out 5K masks by week’s end
(CHICAGO) — March 24, 2020 – Bates Designs, one of the city’s preeminent fashion design houses, today announced that they will be making masks for patients at Mount Sinai and Jackson Park Hospitals. The masks will be donated to the hospitals free of charge.
To meet their goal of delivering 5000 masks to the hospitals by this Friday, Barbara Bates has secured donations of fabrics and other materials, from local fabric stores. She is also soliciting, via social media, the general public for help in constructing the masks, using a pattern she is providing.
Bates came up with the idea after talking with friends. In doing her research she found that a simple cotton blend fabric would be appropriate for those patients sitting in hospital waiting rooms. Providing these masks, free of charge, means critically needed medical grade masks intended for hospital personnel, are not depleted.
To date Rainbow Fabrics has agreed to donate fabric and supplies, and a long time employee of a Pilsen fabric shop is donating 50 yards of material, while committing to use her discount to purchase even more material.
“Working together we can make a small dent in what is sure to be an increasing need for masks at these two hospitals that serve our most vulnerable population,” said Bates. “We thank those who have stepped up to help us and with more support we could reach our ultimate goal of 10K masks.”
This is not Bates first philanthropic effort on behalf of Sinai Hospital. Since 2012, the Barbara Bates Foundation has contributed over $640,000 to fund an institutional grant on ‘Disparity and Education of Breast Cancer’ in partnership with Sinai Health System. The grant serves to address and educate individuals about the disparities in access to breast cancer care faced by women in the African American and Latino communities. This year Mount Sinai Hospital will open the Barbara Bates Foundation Women’s Imaging Center.
Please join us in our efforts by donating today!
About Bates Design
Barbara Bates is known as a leader in creating fashionable styles for everyone, from A list celebrities to business leaders, to the simply stylish. Inspired by the fashionable attire of her mother and aunt, Bates has been a nationally recognized designer since 1986. For the entirety of her career Bates Designs has adhered to the simple philosophy that a woman can wear anything if it fits properly. No matter the size, well-constructed, tailored garments should be a staple of a woman’s wardrobe no matter if they are a size 2 or 22. Bates’ belief is in producing age-appropriate and properly fitted clothing for everyone, and her adherence to this philosophy has stood the test of time. Each piece from her collections represents hard work, creativity, and an attention to detail that’s unwavering with a clear vision of what people want.
