Georgia Gov. Kemp commends Augusta COVID-19 T-shirt campaign
Gov. Brian Kemp commended the local business Showpony for its “We Give a Shirt” campaign that has raised $172,450 to support local small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visiting the Broad Street firm Thursday, Kemp said much of the good news connected to recent pandemic isn’t making headlines.
“It’s really been quite amazing how people have really stepped up,” Kemp said. He recently visited Ghost Coast liquors, a Savannah firm that shifted to making hand sanitizer, he said.
Downtown burger institution Sports Center got a check for more than $4,000 from Showpony after the firm designed it a COVID-19 relief t-shirt, owner Sandi Watkins said.
In all, the firm designed more than 150 t-shirts for local small businesses such as restaurants, bars and nurseries as well as several area schools.
Showpony co-owner Sean Mooney said 17,450 t-shirts have been sold, with $10 each going to the businesses and a total of $172,450 raised for them.
Mooney is a candidate for District 3 on the Augusta Commission in Tuesday’s election. Kemp said he is not endorsing any candidates in local elections.
GET CORONAVIRUS UPDATES IN YOUR INBOX. SIGN UP FOR NEWS ALERTS!
Showpony co-owner Daniel Stewart, of the design firm Wier / Stewart, said they were shocked at how the t-shirt effort took off.
“For a company dedicated to puffery and graphic design, it was easy to figure out how we could help. We just didn’t know how effective it would be in such a short amount of time,” Stewart said.
The Aquinas High School t-shirt sold the most - 668 shirts - and got a check for $6,680. Principal Maureen Lewis expressed her appreciation and said the funds are going to expand the school’s collection of good books.
Kemp said other good news being overlooked are successes in Brunswick, Ga., he said.
Black runner Ahmaud Arbery was killed and two white men were eventually accused of his murder in another case of delayed justice that has helped prompt worldwide protests.
“In Brunswick right now there’s protests that we’ve been working with organizers for over a month and had no problems,” he said. “I’m just hoping and praying that continues and we continue to have the right kind of dialogue.”
This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism and consider subscribing to The Augusta Chronicle at https://augustachronicle.com/subscribenow.
