4.15.2016
The Bandits are in the playoffs! The Sabres and the Bills are now undefeated and in preparation for the upcoming championship seasons. Right? So it’s never too early to start building up your collection of apparel. And why not directly support a local family or charity in need while you do so? 26 Shirts can help you do both, and they’re also your DJ today! Based in Buffalo, and also operating in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Chicago, they’ve put together a playlist with music from each of those cities:
Buffalo:
1. Goo Goo Dolls: Already There
2. Snapcase: Typecast Modulator
3. Ani DiFranco: Deep Dish
4. Weezer: My Name is Jonas (Pat, the drummer, is from WNY and we actually did a shirt inspired by the song title.)
Pittsburgh:
1. Rusted Root: Send Me On My Way
2. Juliana Theory: Top of the World
Cincinnati:
1. Afghan Whigs: Algiers
2. The National: Graceless
Chicago:
1. Smashing Pumpkins: Mayonaise
2. Fratellis: Chelsea Dagger (Another hockey reference! Chicago’s goal song and the inspiration for a shirt we did last year.)
26shirts.com is the brainchild of Del Reid and Dan Gigante. Del, a co-founder of Buffalo FAMbase (aka “@billsmafia“) on social media, and Dan, founder of the social good company, You and Who, began working together in late 2013 to begin a line of shirts that would help families either in, or with ties to, WNY.
To explain how the whole concept works, here’s Del and Dan to tell you more:
“So what is it we do exactly? Every two weeks, we release a different sports-related design inspired by one of the given city’s teams. $8 from the each shirt we sell, we donate to a local family or foundation that can use the money. After the two weeks is up, we’re on to a new design and a new beneficiary.”
“In the past two and a half years, we’ve raised over $250,000 for the now four cities we operate in, and are currently eyeing a fifth city that we will expand into soon.”
“To date, we’ve had the opportunity to work with over 30 different athletes / sports personalities in both the creation and promotion of our gear. We’re not going to lie, it’s a lot of fun and it feels great being able to give back like we do. We like to think 26 Shirts is the perfect marriage of satisfying the desire people have to rep their teams and the need for the community to have as many people giving back as possible. Win win!”
Check out our current shirt: “K-Gun Offense”
On to our weekly Instagram roundup. Be a part of it and find new accounts to follow and interact with on #RiseBFLO! SYMMETRY CITY over here! So many good eyes for the hidden in plain site gems this week. Keep it up, we love it so damn much.
