In turn, many of those wearing the masks began to suffer from ear pain where the mask straps rub, including Rio Grande Hospital’s Karl Heinrich.
Karl’s wife, Lori, a bookkeeper at Creede Schools, stated “When this all first started, and the hospitals ramped up their protection, you know, every day, my husband was wearing the masks, and his ears were hurting.”
Lori reached out to Creede fifth/sixth grade teacher Michele Crispell, “could we print out surgical mask straps to help with the hospital personnel ear irritations?”
Michele was excited with the idea and the ability to involve the students, “3D printing can teach kids mathematics like spatial reasoning. It can also teach them that whenever you create something, you create it for a reason.”
In addition to helping with the 3D printing process, the students wrote letters of appreciation to show support for the front-line workers.
Creede student Lexi Mink wrote the following: “Dear doctors and nurses, You guys are great at keeping us safe. Thank you for making sure we get the help we need. You guys are like heroes in the sky. I hope these mask straps help you in all of the ways that they can. And in scary times, it’s comforting to know that we have hard-working people ready to take care of us at any time. I will be praying for you all to stay safe and healthy as you care for our community. Sincerely, Lexi Mink”
Rio Grande Hospital personnel were filled with gratitude for the kind gesture put forth by Creede School District and offered words of thanks back to the students, “I just wanted to say thank you; it makes wearing a mask all day way more comfortable.”
In these challenging times, our cooperative principle of Commitment to Community has greater meaning than ever before. Across the cooperative family, amazing work is being done by businesses, organizations, and individuals to support local communities in this time of need.
SLV REC collaborated with Tri-State Generation & Transmission to capture this special story on video. Find the story online here

Courtesy Photos: The Heinrich Family reads a thank you letter.
Top photo: A mask strap in use by RGH staff