THOMASVILLE — One might wonder about the relationship between foam rubber pink pool noodles and battling COVID-19.

The more than 400 pool noodles donated to Archbold Memorial Hospital are expected help reduce the number of times medical staff must enter coronavirus ICU patient rooms to work with intravenous pumps. Pump tubing will run through noodles to keep tubing off the floor and allow pumps to be kept outside patient rooms.

Thomasville Pools & Spas Inc. donated the noodles to the hospital and for distribution to other Archbold facilities that might need them.

“We’re glad we could help in any way. It made us feel good,” said Karen Williams. She and her husband, Larry, own the pool business.

Williams encourages others to help the community “in any small way.”

Pool business employees have pitched in to help with the project.

Chad Williams, the store owners’ son and business general manager, has been active in the project.

Store manager Leslie Sloan ordered the noodles from a South Carolina distributor Friday night. They arrived Tuesday.

The Williams’ son, Jeremy Petruszak, works at Grady General Hospital in Cairo, an Archbold facility. A niece is a nurse at Archbold.

Williams said she and her husband learned there was a need at Archbold and began the process of gathering the hundreds of pool noodles.

“We felt like we were doing something positive,” she said. “Lots of little things make a difference.”