>> JON SCHAFFER WAS BORN INTO THE SKI INDUSTRY -- HE AND HIS
FAMILY OWN BERKSHIRE EAST AND CATAMOUNT SKI AREAS, BOTH IN
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
ON MARCH 28TH, AN EMAIL APPEARED IN SCHAFFER'S INBOX.
THIS SIMPLE MOMENT, HE SAYS, INITIATED A
SERIES OF ACTIONS THAT GALVANIZED THE SKI AND ACTION
SPORT WORLDS INTO A FOCUSED, GLOBAL EFFORT TO BRING
PROTECTIVE EYE WEAR TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO ARE FIGHTING
THE WAR AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> Reporter: >> A KEY SEASON THAT IN SOME
REGIONS WOULD NORMALLY EXTEND INTO APRIL AND EVEN MAY WAS CUT
SHORT THIS YEAR BY THE MEASURES TO COUNTERACT THE SPREAD OF
COVID-19 >> WE SORT OF SAW THE WRITING ON
THE WALL WITH THE SPORTS HAVE YOU SEENS AND IT WAS SHUT DOWN
MARCH 12TH.
>> JOHN SHAEFFER OWNS BERKSHIRE EAST AND CATEMOUNT SKI AREAS
WHERE A FEW REMNANTS OF SNOW STILL DOT THE SLOPES.
SCHAFER WHO'S WIFE IS A HEALTHCARE WORKER IN PITTSFIELD
RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR PROTECTION FOR HEALTHCARE
WORKERS.
>> I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT MASK-MAKING MACHINES AND SET UP
OUR OWN PRODUCTION LINES AND WAS REALLY RESEARCHING THAT IN THE
DAYS FOLLOWING OUR CLOSURE AND THEN THIS -- I GOT ABOUT AN
EMAIL 2.5 WEEKS AGO, ALMOST 3 WEEKS AGO IT WAS A DOCTOR
LOOKING FOR SKI GOGGLES AND I WAS LIKE WE CAN DO THAT.
>> SCHAFER RESPONDED TO THE DOCTOR'S EMAIL PUTTING THE
WHEELS IN MOTION IN AN EFFORT TO LET THE SKI INDUSTRY HELP OUT
THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY.
>> WE SET UP A SIMPLE SPREADSHEET THAT WE COULD SHARE.
HE COULD SHARE IT ON HIS END THROUGH THE HOSPITALS AND I
COULD SHARE IT ON MY END THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE INVENTORY
SUPPLY SIDE AND WE SENT IT OUT ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND I WOKE UP
ON SUNDAY MORNING AND MY EMAIL MESSAGES -- EVERYTHING HAD BLOWN
UP AND THERE WAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF INTEREST.
THAT AFTERNOON WE BUILT A WEBSITE AND NAMED IT GOGGLES FOR
DOCS AND GOGGLES FOR DOCS WAS BORN.
>> THE WAY IT WORKS IS PEOPLE WITH NEW OR USED GOGGLES,
USUALLY THAT'S A SKIER, SNOWBOARDER OR EVEN A MOTORCROSS
RIDER LOGS ON THE GOGGLES FOR DOCS WEBSITE THERE THEY CAN FIND
A LIST OF HOSPITALS IN NEED OF PROTECTIVE EYE EQUIPMENT.
THEY GET INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO CLEAN AND PACKAGE THE GOGGLES
FOR SHIPMENT AND PEOPLE CAN EVEN FIND A LIST OF NEARBY DROP-OFF
LOCATIONS.
>> BY THE END OF THE WEEK WE SHIPPED 9,000 GOGGLES IN ALL 50
STATES, 5 COUNTRIES AND HAD 277 DROP-OFF LOCATIONS MANNED BY
VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> VOLUNTEERS LIKE EMILY SHAW FROM GREAT BARRINGTON WHO'S KIDS
IS ON THE RACE TEAM.
>> AS A SKIER AND AS SOMEBODY -- WE SKI OUR WAY THROUGH THE
WINTER, IT JUST COMPLETELY RESONATED AND JUST FELT IN A
BEAUTIFUL WAY LIKE SUCH AN EASY THING TO DO TO MAKE SUCH A BIG
IMPACT.
>> THAT IMPACT WAS FELT AT ST.
FRANCIS HOSPITAL IN HARTFORD LIKE MOST HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
THEY WERE IN DESPERATE NEED OF PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR.
>> THE PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR -- THE SHIELDS, PPE IN GENERAL WAS
PRETTY HARD TO COME BY AND VERY DESPERATELY SOUGHT AFTER AT
MANY, MANY PLACES.
>> ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO ST.
FRANCIS RECEIVED A DONATION OF 1 FIFTH GOGGLES FROM GOGGLES
FOR DOCS.
>> PEOPLE ARE SO APPRECIATIVE WHO HAS NO IDEA WHERE OR WHAT
THEY DO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR WELL-BEING AND IT IS DOING
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROTECT THEIR WELL-BEING WHILE THEY'RE
DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROTECT SOMEBODY ELSE'S
WELL-BEING AND CARING FOR THE SICKEST OF THE SICK.
>> SINCE ITS ORIGINATION, LESS THAN A MONTH AGO GOGGLES FOR
DOCS HAS GROWN INTO A GLOBAL EFFORT PROVIDING NEW OR USED SKI
GOGGLES TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
TO DATE, OVER 35,000 GOGGLES HAVE BEEN DONATED TO HEALTHCARE
FACILITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
>> PEOPLE ARE JUST ALL OVER THIS.
THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO HELP TO PARTICIPATE --
THE WHOLE INDUSTRY HAS RALLIED AROUND GETTING THE PROTECTIVE
EYEWEAR TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.
♪