The Pendulum
FEATURES
Thursday, September 7, 2006 • Page 17
T-shirts supporting overseas troops make statements
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1-auren Doxsey
Features Editor
Differing from the traditional yellow rib
bon bumper stickers that appear on cars
nowadays in order to showcase support for
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, T-shirts are
beginning to make a big statement.
TakePride, a company hoping to rally
America’s youth into supporting troops
overseas, has created a line of T-shirts with
specific messages of encouragement.
“This project offers Americans a new,
more stylish and meaningful way to sup
port their fellow Americans serving in Iraq
or Afghanistan,” said Kevin Reilly, a mem-
l^er of the TakePride team.
These T-shirts also hold special mean
ings, as each design was inspired by a
selected number of service members who
have served or are currently serving in Iraq
or Afghanistan.
According to an article that appeared in
the Washington Post, TakePride currently
offers nine different styles of shirts that
have been created by soldiers who have
served or are still serving for the United
States overseas.
“By focusing on individuals, we hope to
humanize the troops and give people a ref
erence point for better understanding what
the larger group is going through,” said
Reilly.
This project was founded by TakePride
members Patrick Gray and John Betz, who
started the business during the summer as
they believed that American citizens were
losing sight of their troops fighting the
war, according to the Washington Post.
Twenty percent of the profits made are
being contributed to charities that help
combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The first donation has already been made
to Disabled American Veterans.
“The shirts are in no way politically par
tisan,” said Reilly. “Our intent was to
establish something mainstream enough to
elicit support on all sides and further the
stereotype that supporting the troops can
only be a conservative role.”
According to the Washington Post, one
of the T-shirt designs is entitled “Iraq
Imagined.” This specific T-shirt illustrates
a military helicopter flying overhead a
Humvee driving along a path of palm trees.
This drawing was designed by a former
Marine whose job was to call in informa
tion regarding airstrikes against insurgents.
Shirts cost between $20 and $22. For
more purchasing information on these
shirts, visit http://www.takepride.com.
Which features certain designs and logos.
Contact Lauren Doxsey at
pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
Charities that proceeds of TakePride T-shirts go to include:
WoundedWarriors-www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)- www.dav.org
Fisher House- www.fisherhouse.org
Any Soldier-www.anysoldier.cora
The USO- www.uso.org
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