Lyons Township High School graduates and brothers Phil Cozza (Class of 1977) and Paul Cozza (Class of 1974) recently donated 72,000 face masks to their alma mater. The brothers own and operate Deslauriers Inc., a construction supply manufacturer and distributor in LaGrange Park.

The company acquired protective masks for their construction-related customers but decided to donate many of the masks to schools and charitable organizations in the area. 

They contacted the LTHS Parent Teacher Council and donated the masks to the high school for the use of students and teachers. The number donated -- 72,000 -- corresponds to Paul and Phil's brother, Jim, who graduated from LTHS in 1972 and died in 1977 in a car accident while driving to DeKalb to visit his fiancé.

The Cozza extended family has deep ties to LTHS, with brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins all graduates. Another brother, Jay, is president of the school's Alumni Association.

"Even though LT has supplied each student and staff member with an LT mask, broken, soiled, and forgotten masks will undoubtedly occur on a daily basis," said LTHS Superintendent Tim Kilrea. "As we finalize plans to return to in-person learning, the mask donations come a crucial time. Our thanks go out to the Cozza brothers."