b'The cutting crew, L-R: Betty Jane Dickinson, Deb Mountjoy, Dianna Reid, Brenda Setter and Sharon Schmidt. Missing on this day was Judy Mountjoy.WHAT DOES PPE STAND FOR? Personal Protective EquipmentPort Perry Excellence!SunnybraeGolfClubsupstairsdisposable isolation gowns. The reus- ers are local seniors.banquet room has been transformedable isolation gowns being made byTheycutfast,Doriecompli-into a factory.thePortPerryExcellencecrewcanmented. Ninety gowns in one day!Owner Dorie McDonald has hiredwithstandbeingwashedupto25Thegoalistomakeproduction local seniors to make washable isola- times,butshouldlastevenlonger,fasterandlowercoststoincrease tion gowns to be worn by health careDorie explained. profits,butitsnotjustaboutthe professionals while they are treatingExperiencedseamstressSharonmoney, Dorie said. The idea is to help daypatientswhorequirechemo- Schmidt is in charge. She was givenout society and the medical profes-therapy or dialysis, for example. Likean isolation gown from a hospital tosion during the COVID-19 pandemic. face masks, isolation gowns help totake apart, in order to design and cre- SheapproachesthePPEinitiative stop the spread of germs and disease. ate a pattern.from a businesslike point of view, ThenamePortPerryExcellenceThere are four long tables set upand all of the workers are paid. isaplayonthewordsPersonalin the big room, and a well-organizedThe only employee who is not a ProtectiveEquipment.Therewasproduction team in action. Using so- senior is Emily Kaldis, a university much discussion about which E wordcial distancing, two women work at agrad who has waitressed at the golf touseafterPPforPortPerry,saidsix-foot wide table. There are measur- course in the past. Her job is sales, and Dorie, but Excellence seemed to be aing, cutting, folding, sleeves, ties andDorieishopingthathospitalsand good fit since the sewers all do suchneckpieces to do. There are two sew- medical labs in Durham Region will an excellent job. ing machines on site, but most of thetake advantage of the opportunity to It all started about six weeks agosewing is done at their homes. Thepurchase isolation gowns from PPE. whenDorieorderedrollsofwaterfinishedproductisreturnedtotheStarting this factory is an exam-resistant, certified Level 1 and LevelPort Perry Excellence headquarters tople of going into something for the 2 fabric from a U.S. company calledbe steamed.rightreason,withahigher,bigger Milliken. Wecouldntdothiswithoutpurpose,explainedDorie.Sheis Since the dawn of the COVID-19Sharonsknowledgeandability,alanddevelopmententrepreneur pandemic, it was apparent that thereDoriecommented.Thegownsare wasgoingtobeashortageofthebeautifully made, and all of the sew- Please turn to page 16FOCUS - AUGUST 202015'