LOVELAND, Colo. — Steve Kuzmich narrates a video as he walks through the headquarters for the Happy Ears Project, a place that is also known as their home.
"This is the Happy Ears Project order fulfillment center," said Kuzmich, pointing the camera toward the room that used to be called the kitchen.
He continues the tour and walks down to the basement, now known as the production facility, where two 3-D printers are buzzing away.
Before COVID-19, Steve and Jen Kuzmich used their printer for party favors for their kids.
They even made a few useful objects like a lens cap and plastic fish bait, but none have been as useful as the thing they make now.
"People are out there trying to find toilet paper and we're trying to find cheap filament," Jen Kuzmich laughed.
They need lots of filament for the ear saver bands they make to relieve the strain on the ears for people who have to wear masks for long periods of time.
They got the idea after talking to some nursing friends who said their ears were getting sore from constantly wearing masks.
"Every 40 minutes we go walk down the stairs, the printer beeps and we hand pull off every single band from the printer and bring it on up and start another print," Jen Kuzmich said.
Their printer runs 16 hours a day.
"It gave us something to do and something to focus on and we feel like we're contributing and making a difference," Steve Kuzmich said.
The family has made and donated more than 12,000 bands to hospitals, cities, stores and more.
"It just took off," Jen Kuzmich said. "The demand is there and it's obvious that people need these and want these."
The Kuzmichs want to find out who else needs them. They have a website called happyearsproject.org and a Facebook page.
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