SAN ANTONIO -- A group of young men is putting free time to use by raising funds to stop the spread of COVID-19. While stuck isolated from their colleagues and classmates, four friends took it upon themselves to reach out to the CDC Foundation in hopes to lend a hand.
- Four men start nonprofit, Corona Bands
- Aimed at providing info via social media and raising money to combat the spread of COVID-19
"They gave us the go-ahead to start donating to them," said Welsey Brown, president of Corona Bands. "From there we pretty much just took everything and ran with it."
In less than a week the group was able to establish its nonprofit, Corona Bands, as a 501(c)(3). Instead of buckling in and preparing for what's to come, the men turned their living room into a business incubator aimed at giving back. Their nonprofit aims to give important updates on the virus’ spread and ways to combat it.
"Our elders, they were called to serve us in war and to save lives, and now we're being called to serve them, to sit on our couch and save their lives," said Brown. "I think it’s something we can definitely accomplish all together. It can get lonely at times. That is one of the biggest reasons why we started this, to help band everyone together, to help keep everyone feeling like a collective is something we can all accomplish all as one."
Their strategy is to target millennials and other generations on social media to help flatten the curve. While some members of the group work on sending out Corona Bands to people who donate at least $8, others, like Ryan Trevino, are working hard from their at home computers to combat against the spread of the virus.
"Basically explains the difference between influenza and COVID-19," said Trevino while drafting their organization's social media post. "I included hashtags that are very popular. On Twitter, 'close the beach' is trending."
The group initially placed an order for 500 bands. Their ultimate goal is to band together their community, despite social distancing.
"We receive the bands from a locally produced manufacturer in individually wrapped plastic bags," said Trevino. "From there we take the extra precaution to safely package them with gloves into an envelope and later store them into a red little pouch. "
After the bands sit in isolation, they’re shipped out from right here in Texas. You can find out more about the organization on its website.