Shop Face Masks Now!
8 May 2020. Raleigh, North Carolina and El Valle de Antón, Panama.
Coolie Nation presents the limited edition “Save What You Love” mask to support the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center Foundation (EVACC Foundation) preserving Panama’s most critically endangered species of amphibians. With each purchase of the limited edition facemask Coolie Nation pledges to give 50% of the proceeds to the EVACC Foundation.
EVACC Foundation, based in Central Panama, is a grassroots conservation foundation. In 2006, a deadly amphibian pandemic, chytrid fungus, began to decimate the global frog population. Today, the fungus threatens 31% of the world’s amphibians. Individual amphibians can survive with treatment, but, like Covid-19, there is no cure or vaccine for the amphibian chytrid fungus. Thus, ever since the amphibian pandemic started in 2006, EVACC has quarantined, treated, and bred affected frogs and regularly tests them at their facilities in El Valle de Anton, Panama.
In the days before the coronavirus, the North Carolina based Coolie Nation focused on social-gathering products supplying beverage coolies and other products for social events, Covid-19 threatened to shutter them as the public was ordered to shelter-in-place. Owners Stephen and Jenn Crissman adjusted and retooled their factory to begin printing and sewing face masks, initiating a “One Mask Donated for Every Mask Sold” program, they were determined to help out EVACC Foundation as well. “Philanthropy is key to our business, and as long-time friends of the great folks who are dedicating their lives to saving endangered amphibians in Panama, we wanted to help anyway possible.” said Stephen Crissman. The owners of Coolie Nation and founders of EVACC forged a friendship in Panama over a decade ago mixing in a third culture environment, incorporating traditions of conservation and business.
The iconic Panamanian golden frog is a symbol of luck in Panama dating back to precolombian times. Moreover, without frog populations, humans would battle even more insect/disease, and frogs provide critical insight for pharmaceutical developments. Humans and frogs have to unite in this unprecedented time in history! For more information please contact Jennifer Crissman by email at jen@coolienation.com or by phone at (704) 848-5155.
Shop Face Masks Now!