By Rick Karlin, Times Union

Hillsdale, N.Y. — Ski season may have ended early this year due to coronavirus, but skiers and snowboarders have been brought closer together through a growing web-based effort to donate their goggles to hospitals where doctors, nurses and other medical personnel use them as protective eyewear in treating patients.

Since Goggles for Docs geared up less than two weeks ago, more than 17,000 pairs of goggles have been donated to hospitals across the country.

The program has also gained a growing presence in social media, with links showing up on any number of ski-oriented Facebook pages and websites.

It's the brainchild of Jon Schaefer, who owns the Berkshire East and Catamount ski centers in Charlemont, Mass. and Hillsdale, N.Y.

He learned of the need through one of those by chance, but common connections that exist in the world today. One of his race coaches at Catamount had seen an email from Bronx doctor and skier Mark Halperin, through a relative of the doctor.

Halperin sent out the email explaining that there is a shortage of protective eyewear as well as face masks, but that goggles could be used as replacements.

"If we can ramp up, you all literally will be helping to save lives," Halperin wrote.

The email was quickly shared among the network of race coaches in the area, and Schaefer saw it. He knew there would be a flood of donated goggles but figured they would end up just at that one hospital. "I was thinking that this guy's going to end up with 10,000 goggles at his house," Schaefer said.

Schaefer e-blasted the note around to others in the ski industry and he decided to organize a system for donations. He got in touch with web designers who created a website and Google Doc where people could see which hospitals in their state are in need and where they could send their goggles or drop them off for shipment.

"It blew up overnight and then we built the web site the next day," said Schaefer. Doctors and nurses from New York to New Orleans and California as well as points in between are now using the donated goggles.

Goggles for winter sports enthusiasts are one of those accessories that frequently get replaced because they are scratched or discarded in favor of newer styles.

"If you ski, ride, or whatever, the chances are you have some extra goggles in your house," said Melissa Gullotti, a southern Vermont publicist who is helping with the effort.

Moreover, ski goggles are actually an efficient substitute for medical goggles since they are tight fitting and designed not to fog up.

There are lots of goggle makers and prices can range from $20 or to well over $100.

The effort's growth illustrates how social media can rapidly bring groups together, in this case, the closely knit community of skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and other adventure sports enthusiasts.

"I am still emptying it daily," Dan Hogan, director of the Windham snow sports school, said of the drop box at that resort where people have been coming by to donate goggles. After collecting them he sanitizes them, wraps them in plastic and has UPS pick them up in boxes at the ski area loading dock.

"Almost every day there are at least 10 pair," he said.

Hogan was one of the original boosters after hearing from Schaefer.

"I said, 'Oh, we could clean out the Lost and Found,' " Hogan explained.

Hogan also sent out emails to skiers and weekend homeowners, some of whom have remained in the Windham area instead of heading south when the pandemic erupted.

"It just kind of took off from there," Hogan said.

People can also ship the goggles directly to hospitals in need.

The word of mouth is spreading like a benevolent digital virus.

Hogan related how a snowboard instructor started an effort to gather 400 pairs of laboratory goggles from area schools.

And a parent whose child is a ski racer got about 200 goggles.

A number of ski areas, shops and even private homes and driveways now have goggle drops. That's the case nationwide with ski resorts all through New England, the Rockies and West Coast participating as well.

Goggle makers have donated and the Professional Ski Instructors of America, Eastern Division group has pitched in too, bringing a load down from their Albany-area headquarters.

"The snow sports, the action sports community, in general, is incredibly strong," said Gullotti. "And this is a way for people to help."

To contact Goggles for Docs go to https://gogglesfordocs.com or click here.

rkarlin@timesunion.com -- 518-248-6070 -- @RickKarlinTU

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