DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – Medical staff fighting the coronavirus know what it’s like to wear a mask for many hours in a day. But a De Pere company is now donating a small product to make those masks a bit more comfortable.

Inside Creative Sign Company, a laser cuts through sheets of acrylic, creating a product to help medical workers who must wear masks.

“A lot of these healthcare workers are wearing these masks for 8, 10, 12 hours a day,” said Todd Thomas, who owns the business.

Workers like Thomas’s niece, who reached out to him looking for some help.

“Her ears were getting sore because of the pressure of the masks on her ears all day. We created a little unit that would be able to give less pressure,” Thomas said.

What they’re producing is something known as an ‘ear saver’ – which takes the pressure and friction from wearing a mask off of the ears. A tool currently made by many. But this was one specifically designed by Thomas’s employees.

“Played around with some of the existing designs they already had and kind of made it our own by putting the nice little hearts in there to show that we cared,” said Graphic Designer Bridget Novak.

“She really liked them, so we contacted some other hospitals and clinics and we’re able to donate those to them as well,” said Thomas.

These tiny ‘ear savers’ have been shipped all across the country – to Missouri, Michigan, and hospitals in downtown Green Bay.

“We just decided, let’s just send them out to whoever wants them. The request comes in, we make them, send them out, no questions asked,” said COO, Brian Meyer.

In recent weeks the company has sent out over 1,600 ‘ear savers’ to clinics and hospitals. And they stand ready to provide more.

“It’s a pretty small thing that we’re doing in the grand scheme of it, but it’s our little part to help them out,” Meyer said.

“They probably have a lot on their minds right now and this is one less thing they have to worry about,” Novak said.

“The frontline workers are obviously very important to us, so we’re doing everything we can to help the community,” Thomas added.

If you’re interested in receiving some of the ‘ear savers’ write to bridget@creativesigncompany.com.

WFRV Local 5 was told supplies may be limited.