DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver-based medical equipment manufacturer, Iconic Medical Group, is donating thousands of face shields to restaurants who need them.

On Thursday, workers from Iconic Medical Group waited with 20,000 face shields packed in boxes on the fourth floor of a parking provided by the Japanese restaurant, Sushi Den.

There was $150,000 worth of masks and all free for the taking.

“It prevents liquid particles that can come from saliva, from someone sneezing on you, from entering your face,” said Miguel Sosa, founder of Iconic Medical Group.

Sosa said he came up with the idea to donate the face shields to restaurants due to the lack of personal protection equipment available.

“The limiting factor for the economy reopening is the lack of personal protection equipment. We wanted restaurant workers to be healthy,” Sosa said.

First in line to receive the face shields this morning was restaurant owner Randy Goddard of Grandpa’s Burger Haven on South Federal Boulevard.

He was very pleased to receive one hundred face shields.

“Oh, it’s going to help a lot. It helps my employees at the windows, because we have a front window there. Now my employees will be able to have these shields,” said Goddard.

Devin Rombough from Illegal Pete’s says the free face shields will help tremendously with the chains bottom line.

“This is a huge incentive. I think the hardest part of reopening is not only paying off bills from our closure but also trying to repurchase all of our food and dry goods that we need to reopen,” Rombough said.

“When restaurants closed I was sad. And when they started reopening the restaurant staff were complaining about personal protection equipment and not being able to get it,” said Sosa.

Sosa says he hopes the face shields will put a smile on a restaurant workers face, one that others will be able to see.