Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez and other university leaders teamed up to sew medical masks as part of the “Sew Your True Colors” (ProjectProtect) campaign to benefit frontline healthcare workers. UVU leaders and other volunteers sewed the masks with green thread to show their school spirit and “true colors.” 

ProjectProtect is a grassroots initiative created to produce 5 million medical-grade masks for organizations that need them in the fight against COVID-19. All of Utah’s institutions of higher education joined in support of this effort and encouraged their volunteers to stitch the masks with the institution’s respective school colors.

“We are honored to join our peer institutions of higher education in supporting this project,” said Tuminez. “We want our frontline caregivers to know how much we appreciate their service and the sacrifices they are making to keep our communities safe.”

UVU Provost F. Wayne Vaught, Vice President of Finance and Administration Val Peterson, and Associate Vice President for Finance Jacob Atkin joined Tuminez in sewing the masks. With each taking a turn at the sewing machine, they all had a mix of joy and relief once they sewed their first seam. “For a group that has withstood the upheaval of COVID-19, the sewing machine nearly did all of us in,” said Atkin.

Vaught agreed with a smile, saying, “Sewing is not one of my strengths, but I did my best to make the masks look good with green thread. It is a small gesture to thank a large group of people making a big difference.”

Once the team had finished their initial seams in several of the masks, they started to pin pleats with the help of a provided diagram. Tuminez took instruction from Atkin on how to pleat and pin the masks properly, and Vaught and Peterson consulted on the proper length of the ear straps. It was very much an all-hands-on-deck operation and a good example of the university’s “engaged learning” strategy, where students are given the opportunity to put into practice the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom.

Over the last several weeks, volunteers signed up to sew masks through ProjectProtect.health and picked up kits of 100 masks at one of six donation sites from Harrisville to St. George. Volunteers needed a sewing machine, thread, scissors, and pins, but did not need a high level of sewing skills to produce the masks.

Volunteers needed a sewing machine, thread, scissors and pins, but did not need a high level of sewing skills to produce these masks.

"It's easy to be humble when you know you can't sew! I am grateful that I had the chance to sew masks (however crooked) with my colleagues for our health and medical workers. They are true heroes and angels, whose courage and service are a gift every day, but even more so during a pandemic," Tuminez said.