Nintendo Donates 9,500 Facemasks To Local Responders

With a global shortage of protective facemasks endangering those on the front line in the fight against covid-19, Nintendo has looked in its back room and found 9,500 N95 particulate respirator masks, which are being donated to responders near the company’s American operations.

In a “thank you” post on the city site for North Bend, Washington, where Nintendo of America’s packaging and distribution center is based, it’s reported that “Nintendo representative Jerry Danson contacted Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) to generously donate over 9,500 N95 Particulate Respirator masks.”

If you were wondering why Nintendo of all companies would have so many of the things lying around when they’re so short on supply elsewhere, they’d been purchased a while back for “emergency preparedness planning” and put into storage. With a need for the masks now so great—they’re “are among the most requested items for first responders and health care providers”—Nintendo figured somebody else could use them more.

N95 (also known as P2) masks go a little further than your average surgical mask, as they’re designed to stop you breathing in particulates (usually debris) in the air. We all got very used to them here in Australia during the bushfire crisis earlier in the year, and a payload of 9500 of them at a time like this is like handing off a box of gold.

‘This crisis is unprecedented”, the city’s statement closes with. “The safety and security of community members is paramount in our daily mission. The communities served by City of North Bend and Eastside Fire & Rescue deeply appreciate the generous donation from Nintendo.”

via Go Nintendo