Dickinson Avenue Elementary School journalist Anna Katzmaier was thrilled to write a story about Northport Middle School eighth grader, Lia Edlin Miller, who, while quarantined, has sewn more than 1,700 masks for the Northport-East Northport community. Please see below for Anna’s story, published in the virtual edition of the student newsletter, “Dickinson ROARS.”

Dickinson Alum Makes Almost 1700 Masks
By Anna Katzmaier

Since New York mandated masks in public spaces and medical masks are hard to find, we are in need of homemade masks. Lia Edlin Miller, eighth grader at Northport Middle School and Dickinson alum, has made over 1300 masks for the community so far.

I have known Lia for a long time and she is a role model for everyone! “I spend about 4 to 6 hours each day and usually make 40 or 60 masks during that time,” she told me in a phone interview. Lia uses two layers of 100% cotton, along with regular elastic, to make the masks in various patterns. She cuts two rectangles from different patterns of fabric, then sews them together back to back with the elastic, leaving a small gap. She then turns them inside out and irons them, stitching around the edges one more time, leaving no gap.

Like every other quarantined student, Lia has to do online schooling, but still finds time in the day to make masks. “I started with a couple a day, but got better and made more each day,” she said. She accepts donations for her masks and uses some of the money to buy more supplies. She said with any extra money she makes, she will be donating it to Tri-CYA, a local initiative for children and low-income families. Hats off and masks on to Lia Edlin Miller, an awesome eighth grader!