It all started when she was stuck in bed.
Kylee Booth came down with the flu at the end of March, which left her bedridden for weeks. It also sparked an idea.
“Well I was thinking about how I maybe what I could’ve done to prevent getting the flu and after that, I was realizing how important it would be if everybody would wear masks,” said the 13-year old near her sewing station.
So she turned to her mom Collette to help her with the project. She wanted to sew masks for front line workers, but first, she had to figure out how to put them together, and mom was surprised by her sudden interest.
“She never really had much interest till about three years ago, then she started on little projects and then when this took off. I spent some time teaching her how to use the serger and how to put the masks together. So I still oversee what she’s doing to make sure it’s all good, that it’s the best we can do, obviously with quality control,” Collette said.
Kylee still needs help from time to time, but so far she’s made over 100 masks for the staff at Spencer Middle School.
“The most rewarding part about it is I know that a lot of people are more safe in my community. It’s a big milestone for me,” says Kylee.
“We got so many emails back from Kylee’s teachers yesterday and staff at the school and the vice principals just saying they wished they had more children like Kylee. She’s made such a difference to their school. They just love having her,” said Collette.
The masks will keep coming as long as they are needed, with creative interchangeable patterns and adjustable features to prevent glasses from steaming up. The response has been immense.
“We’ve had a few offers, “Ah can we pay,” and we said no you’re not paying. This is what initiative Kylee’s come up with and she wants to do it for the community,” says Collette.
“I’m glad I did it because they’ve done so much [for] me and I wanted to give them some things back,” beams Kylee.
The masks are provided free of cost and equipment is purchased by the Booth family.
Cole Sorenson
