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Local 706 Member Allan Apone and Son Launch “The Mask Initiative”

Local 706 Member, Allan Apone and Son Launch Mask Initiative

Makeup Artist and Local 706 member, Allan Apone says he was in Berlin, Germany waiting to start filming “Uncharted” before the pandemic.

“The day we were scheduled to start principal photography we were told that production was on hold and we would be going home,” says Apone

Apone says he knew he would be doing a 2-week self-quarantine and pondered what he would do while on house bound.

“I would read, write, play games, do puzzles, watch TV etc., the life in the COVID-19 era had started for me,” says Apone. “I watched news and visited sites to learn more about the pandemic and what should be done. I talked with friends and family to make sure all were safe and healthy. I was doing what I thought I could at the time.”

Apone says he was content to relax and go with the flow, until his son AJ presented the idea to create masks for first responders on 3D printers.

“I asked him what about the filters,” says Apone. “He continued, I bought 3M HEPA 1500 home air conditioners filters rated for Bacteria and Viruses cut them and we use them in the mask, so I began to help.”

Apone says since that day, he and his son have been a 2-man team plotting and manufacturing masks and parts to donate and drop off to local first responders in hospitals and clinics.

“This was the start of “The Mask Initiative,” says Apone.

Apone says his son, AJ received $3,000 in donations from friends to help with the project in just two and a half days!

“I decided to post a fundraiser on Facebook after 4 days, we reached our goal of $5,000 so we pushed it to $10,000 because we are now over $6,000,” Apone added. “All of the donations we receive are used 100% for the materials, supplies and equipment to make the masks and other PPE we create. We don’t take any salary or compensation.”

Apone says they also created a zippered plastic room in their home pantry for final anti-bacterial treatment of the masks by UV-C light.

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