With the recent Covid19 virus sweeping across the country, families all over the nation have been ordered to stay indoors. As families have settled down in their houses to try to adjust to quarantine, a group of students from Valencia High School have banded together in an effort to help stop the spread of Covid19.

Led by junior Chris Kurumiya, this group of high school students have joined forces with the organization Operation Shields Up. Their mission is to help provide masks to all first responders who do not have access to the protection that they need due to a shortage of supplies. Operation Shields Up works to encourage families with 3D printers to help fill this shortage. Kurumiya and his friends have been working to help spread the message of the work that Operation Shields Up has been doing in hopes that families with 3D printers will join the cause.

They are asking that all families that are willing to help send their donations directly to the Operation Shields Up collection site at Hackerlab Rocklin, 4415 Granite Drive, Suite 200, Rocklin, CA 95677. Donations can also be dropped on Fridays at Rancho Pico Junior High School, 26250 West Valencia Boulevard, Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381, where the William S. Hart School District will be collecting the masks to send to Operation Shields Up. Once the masks reach the Operation Shields Up building, they will be disinfected according to CDC regulations and sent to hospitals in need of protection equipment. Blueprints for making the masks can be found on the Operation Shields Up website.

“Any amount of help is very much appreciated. This is a great opportunity for students to be able to make a difference during the pandemic. Thank you for your help!” said Kurumiya.