Mask sellers doing brisk business in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG - As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase in southeastern Illinois and more people are urged to wear masks, one local company is helping to meet the demand.

Girls in the Garage, primarily a T-shirt company in Carrier Mills, has been a frequent visitor to Parker Plaza in Harrisburg lately. The company has a pop-up canopy and a huge selection of all sorts of masks.

Tony Schutt, whose daughter Paige started the company, said the masks are a high-quality product.

"These are made in the USA, and they are well-constructed," Schutt said.

The two-layer cloth masks are meant to be worn, washed and re-worn as needed.

Joining Schutt at the mobile mask booth is Mike Rapada, a professional wrestler, known as "The Colorado Kid."

Rapada said currently he's working with Girls in the Garage while planning future wrestling events.

"Right now, I'm just printing T-shirts," he said.

Rapada said he's also working with Jerry "The King" Lawler to bring a wrestling event to Jackson, Tennessee on Sept. 26.

"It's Jerry's 50th year of professional wrestling, and we're wanting to do something big," Rapada said. "But, with this COVID thing going on, this has been a heck of a year to try to get a large event organized."

Schutt said the Girls in the Garage will continue to sell masks at the mobile location, which has been at the north end of the Parker Plaza parking lot in Harrisburg.