T-shirt sale extended through summer
Sale has raised $10K for COVID-19 Response Fund
UPPER MERION » A T-shirt sale fundraiser in support of Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Response Fund has raised more than $10,000, and will continue through Labor Day.
So far, more than 630 shirts have been sold. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board said the goal is now to sell 1,000 shirts to raise $20,000 for the COVID-19 Response Fund.
The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board launched the #MontCoStrong t-shirt sale in April, with sales initially targeted to end in June.
“A huge thank you to the Montco community. It’s because of their generosity that we’re able to support the county’s fund to help those in need,” Mike Bowman, president & CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, said in a press release. “We knew we could count on everyone coming together because this county has heart, and resilience. That’s going to get us through this.”
The shirts sell for $25 each, and 80% of the sale price is being donated to the Response Fund, which was established at the end of March to support local relief efforts in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The fund supports community safety net organizations, including those serving low-income and food-insecure residents, senior citizens, veterans, homeless and homebound individuals.
Through June 19, the fund had raised about $750,000 to assist Montgomery County nonprofit organizations, according to county officials. In addition, by June 22, a total of $413,500 had been awarded to 127 nonprofit organizations.
The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board designed the #MontcoStrong t-shirt and partnered with DJB Specialties Inc. in North Wales, that specializes in custom apparel and promotional products. DJB Specialties has been in business since 1997 and has done screen print and embroidery for the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board in the past, David Blank, president of the company told MediaNews Group in April. The company is printing and packaging the shirts and hosting the website for the sales.
The staff at DJB’s facility is wearing gloves and masks at all times, according to the tourism board, with all items handled using COVID-19 guidelines as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those purchasing the shirts are asked to share who they are #MontCoStrong for, by posting images of themselves wearing the shirts on social media. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board is also continuing to raise awareness about supporting local businesses through blog content on its website, social media channels, and billboards.
To order a shirt visit www. valleyforge.org/montco-strongt-shirts/, or www.djbspecialties. com/showrooms.htm.
The MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund is a partnership between Montgomery County HealthSpark Foundation, Montgomery County Foundation, Inc., VNA Foundation of Greater North Penn, BLBB Charitable, AmerisourceBergen Foundation, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Inc., Genuardi Family Foundation, and Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, and the County’s three nonprofit collaboratives BuxMont Collaborative, TriCounty Community Network, and the Interagency Council of Norristown are also founding partners. The partners have seeded the fund with $250,000, but more donations will be needed to meet the demand.
To contribute to the fund, or to apply for grants, residents and organizations can visit www.montcopa.org/COVID-19.