INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DONATES TO T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER

UPPER MERION » The Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) recently made a $5,000 contribution to the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s #MontCoStrong t-shirt fundraiser.

Sales of the #MontCoStrong T-shirts have raised a total of $13,000 since the effort was launched in April. With the addition of this contribution from the Industrial Development Authority, the total now stands at $18,000.

So far, more than 640 T-shirts have been sold at $25 each, with proceeds being donated to the MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund. The fund was established at the end of March to support local relief efforts in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The #MontcoStrong Fund provides valuable assistance to the truly needy residents of Montgomery County,” Eric Pritchard, chairman of the Industrial Development Authority board, said in a press release. “Our board approved this contribution enthusiastically.”

The Industrial Development Authority has assisted manufacturing firms, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations. The authority aims to maintain a high level of employment, and create and maintain business opportunities, according to information on the Montgomery County website. The agency works by borrowing money from private sector financing institutions, loaning this money to Montgomery County companies to finance projects and securing below-market interest rates on loans that are tax-exempt to the lender.

“We hope our contribution raises the awareness of the fund throughout the county,” Richard DePiano Jr., treasurer of the Industrial Development Authority board said.

“This group does great work for the county, and this very large donation is going to help a lot of people in need. Montgomery County businesses coming together is what’s going to get us all through this,” Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, said in the release.

The #MontCoStrong T-shirt sale was initially targeted to end in June. Earlier this month, the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board announced sales of the shirts will continue through Labor Day, with a goal of selling more than 1,000 shirts, and raising $25,000.

The MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund is assisting community safety net organizations critically impacted by the current public health crisis such as those serving low-income and food-insecure residents, senior citizens, veterans, homeless and homebound individuals.

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.

To order a T-shirt visit www. valleyforge.org/montco-strongt-shirts/, or www.djbspecialties. com/showrooms.htm.

To make a donation of for more information about the MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund visit www.montcopa.org/COVID-19.

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO The Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority recently made a $5,000 contribution to the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s #MontCoStrong t-shirt fundraiser. So far, the organization has raised $18,000 to benefit Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Response Fund. In this file photo, Officer Tegan Timcho from the Upper Dublin Police Department shows off her #MontCoStrong t-shirt.

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO This file photo shows Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence holding up a #MontCoStrong t-shirt, being sold by the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board. Proceeds from the sale of the shirts go to the county’s COVID-19 Response Fund.