All middle and high school band members across the School District of Lee County are now able to play music and continue to wear masks. Donations from Cape Coral Elks Lodge 2596 and Suncoast Credit Union helped the District buy 3,300 musician masks.

“As the director of bands at South Fort Myers High School, both I and Principal Ed Mathews are greatly appreciative of the generous donation of playing masks from the Elks Lodge and Suncoast Credit Union,” said Staci Hatmaker.  “We all want to keep the safety of our arts students a priority in the district of Lee county.  Thank you for making this happen!”

The face masks are designed with an opening to allow the musician to play his or her instrument while having a fully functional face mask when not playing. They are currently being distributed to band students in all 15 high schools and 49 middle school band programs.

“Suncoast is thrilled to be able to help support our local students by providing specialized masks so they can continue to follow their passion for music while staying safe in their school orchestra or playing their school’s fight song after a touchdown,” says Jeffrey Kunberger, Senior Service Center Manager for Suncoast.

Cape Coral Elks Lodge 2596 donated $5,500 and Suncoast Credit Union through the Foundation for Lee County Schools donated $5,250. The District then contributed more than $6,000 so that enough masks could be provided to every band student.

“The Elks Lodge always invests in our local community and used a Beacon Grant during the COVID-19 crisis to protect the students of Lee County,” Rich Kampf, President of Cape Coral Elks Lodge 2596 says.