Coronavirus Montgomery County: Two Local Businesses Ensuring Residents Stay 'MontCo Strong'
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- One of the areas most impacted by COVID-19 is Montgomery County. Two local businesses are coming together to ensure that area stays "MontCo Strong."
Montgomery County has been hit hard by the pandemic.
"Fourteen more Montgomery County residents have lost their lives to COVID-19, which brings us to a total of 220 deaths," Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chair Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said.
The human loss has been irreplaceable and the economic struggles are severe.
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But two companies in our area are coming together with a message and a way to help out those in the county who need it most.
"What's the feeling that you want someone to experience when they witness that video?" CBS3's Greg Argos asked.
"Hope. Being able to show there is hope in tomorrow," Ed Seiders said.
Seiders, with 20/20 Visual Media, says his company created a MontCo Strong video pro bono for the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board.
"Like our heroes of the past and our heroes of the present, we will rise again," the video says.
It's a way to look toward the future as the state starts planning to ease shelter-at-home restrictions.
"We wanted to be able to show the resolve of Montgomery County coming out of the storm that we're weathering right now," Seiders said.
Perhaps weathering that storm is best exemplified by David Blank, who owns DJB Specialties, a promotional product company.
"Our shop was on fire," Blank said. "We had lost everything."
That was on Feb. 25. But incredibly, with the help of the community, Blank was able to rent temporary space.
And within a month, he partnered up with the Tourism and Convention Board to create #MONTCOSTRONG T-shirts.
"All of the proceeds from these shirts go to help those who are most in need in Montgomery County," Blank said.
More than 300 shirts have already been sold, with the goal of reaching 1,000. The money will be deposited into the county's emergency relief fund.
"We feel like we need to support them back. It's something that's extremely important, is to be able to have the opportunity to give back to those who help you. Pay it forward, because you never know when you're going to need it," Blank said.
