Charles River Apparel recently donated 1,500 face masks to Community Captains, a program launched last fall by the New England Patriots Foundation in partnership with Bank of America. The Sharon, Massachusetts-based supplier gifted more than $30,000 worth of Viromasks, a reusable fabric face covering, to Community Captains.

The Community Captains program was established to build stronger connections with local nonprofits to maximize their impact, and over the next two years, the New England Patriots Foundation and Bank of America will work closely with six organizations to gain a deeper understanding of their mission and help them serve the community most effectively.

“This new charitable partnership with Bank of America allows us to strengthen our relationships with six local nonprofits that are committed to building stronger New England communities,” says Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation. “The program is all about collaboration, so to have our good friends at Charles River Apparel recognize the value of this initiative and to offer their support to our six Community Captains is humbling.”

Charles River Apparel’s donation will be distributed to all six Community Captains: Abby’s House in Worcester; La Colaborativa in Chelsea; the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield; Girls, Inc. of the Valley in Holyoke; Sojourner House in Providence, and UTEC in Lowell. In June 2020, Charles River Apparel teamed up with the New England Patriots Foundation and Revolution Charitable Foundation to donate 1,900 pieces of clothing to foster families, homeless shelters, and domestic violence prevention organizations in the area.

“We are thrilled to partner once more with the New England Patriots Foundation and support their latest program,” says Barry Lipsett, president and CEO of Charles River Apparel. “We know how essential these items are for nonprofits, and we feel honored to be able to help them continue providing key services safely during the pandemic.”