BUENA PARK, CA – Buena Park School District recently received a donation of 37,000 see-through face shields to protect students, teachers and staff, providing an additional barrier to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The District received the face shields from Westminster-based company Tru-Form Plastics, which is a division of American Innotek. Tru-Form Plastics Engineer Ed Hentges, a Buena Park resident and friend of Beatty Middle School Principal Erik Bagger, recommended that his company donate face shields to protect students and staff during the pandemic.

In July, Tru-Form Plastics donated 120,000 face shields to Buena Park School District and five other districts, including La Habra, Lowell Joint, Savanna, Cypress and Centralia. In total, Tru-Form Plastics has donated 136,000 face shields to schools and non-profit organizations since May.

“Providing face shields for students and teachers, in addition to other safety protocols, not only helps keep them safe, it should also increase their confidence when returning to an in-person learning experience,” American Innotek President Jim Goode said. “Developing a product that will help our community return to a new normal, is integral to our company culture.”

The face shields will be available to all students, teachers and staff members when the District begins phase 2 of its opening plan, which allows for in-class learning minimum days. The District will start the 2020-21 school year with distance learning while it monitors COVID-19 infection levels in Orange County.

“We are so thankful to receive this face shield donation so that we can provide an extra level of protection for our teachers and students when they are back on campus in the coming months,” Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes said. “The safety of our community is paramount and we would like to thank Tru-Form Plastics for their help.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

BUENAPARK_SHIELD1: Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes holds one of 37,000 face shields donated to Buena Park School District by Tru-Form Plastics. Miramontes accepts the face shield from Tru-Form Plastics Engineer Ed Hentges (middle) along with other face shield donation recipients (left to right) Cypress School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tim McLellan, Centralia School District Superintendent Dr. Norma Martinez, Lowell Joint School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Coombs and Savanna School District Superintendent Dr. Sue Johnson.

BUENAPARK_SHIELD2: American Innotek President Jim Goode showcases a finished see-through face shield, which will be used by Buena Park School District students and staff when on-campus learning starts. A total of 37,000 of these face shields were donated to the District through a partnership with Tru-Form Plastics, a division of American Innotek.