RICHMOND, Va. — During the pandemic, we've seen people come up with such innovative solutions to problems we didn't even realize we had before. Like something as simple as birthday candles.
Since the virus outbreak we've seen a whole lot more cognizant of germs, and spitting all over birthday cake.
That's where University of Virginia graduate and Richmond resident Mark Apelt's invention shines.
It's called the Blowzee. It diverts someone's gross breath away from a cake, while still giving them the joy of blowing out birthday candles.
According to the Blowzee's website, the invention came to be after 17 prototypes and 40 cakes.
Now Apelt sells the helpful tool for $9.99 plus shipping.
Here's a diagram of how it works:
Apelt says he came up with the idea for the tool when he was at a birthday party for a young boy who had not figured out how to blow out candles.
The boy apparently sent spit flying everywhere.
"The whole room suddenly was on a diet. No one wanted to eat cake anymore," Apelt said.
Apelt said the idea came up before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic help him develop the product.
"COVID not only provided a little more time looking for things to do, but it also opened up a whole new world of communication for people through Zoom," Apelt said. "Suddenly we were able to talk to engineers and manufacturing plants and injection molding plants ... It was much easier to develop a product."
Apelt says the Blowzee is available through their website, Amazon, local shops and groceries, with hopes of getting the product in larger stores.
For more information on the Blowzee and to get your own, click here.
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