BATON ROUGE, La. – April 23, 2020 – East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome is distributing donated cloth masks to several organizations that are servicing vulnerable and in-need populations, as a means to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the Capital Region.

The masks were donated from the Hanes clothing company to the Governor’s office, which then distributed them to the parish.

“I want to thank both Hanes and Governor Edwards for this tremendous show of generosity and unity for our state,” said Mayor Broome. “These masks are being prioritized for those citizens who are most at risk of this terrible virus, which ultimately aids our community in further slowing its spread.”

The Mayor’s office is distributing 28,500 masks to both the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging. Both organizations are providing needed food and services to vulnerable populations, and will include the donated masks with distributions to their recipients.

An additional 28,500 masks were made available to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, in support of the system’s continued feeding efforts for students.

Mayor Broome is also providing 500 masks to each of the 23 nursing homes located in East Baton Rouge Parish, as well as 28,500 masks to the Baton Rouge Health District, for distribution and use at hospitals in the parish.

The City-Parish is providing N-95 masks for all of its first responders, and will also use a portion of the donated cloth masks for its critical workforce as those employees return to work.