Weymouth T-Shirt Company Offers Up Generosity, Resilience In Face Of COVID-19
WEYMOUTH (CBS) - It's all about resilience, saying thank you and repaying an old debt. That's what's happening today at a T-shirt company in Weymouth. The company, College Hype, had virtually shut down because of the coronavirus. That's when the company's owner got an idea that's helping local medical workers stay safe.
The production floor has renewed life these days at College Hype. They're packaging hundreds of special T-shirts they've sold to raise money for nearby medical workers.
"We started talking about the nurses and doctors and how they display a resilience all the time," said Jack Doherty, the screen-printing company's owner. That led to printing T-shirts with a logo reading "Resilience 2020," a message of strength and solidarity.
"We sold over 1,000 shirts and we were able to donate $10,000 to Boston Medical Center and then $10,000 to South Shore Health," Doherty explains. South Shore Health holds a special place for Jack. "Seven years ago I was playing hockey with a bunch of buddies, and I cardiac arrested," he says. Jack credits the hospital for saving his life. "Here I am to tell the story. And in seven years I haven't done that much for the hospital, so I figured this would be a good way to give back."
Proceeds from the sales will help the hospital buy masks and gloves to keep doctors and nurses safe. Some of Jack's employees are working hard on the effort to support those health care workers.
"They are resilient. They have to forget what they saw yesterday and come back the next day and do it all over again. So I think that touches a soft spot for all of us," said Kathy Keefe.
"If we can make a difference, why not do it? It keeps you staying positive, too," said Jack.
The price range for the t-shirts and sweatshirts is from $15 to $45. They hope to make an additional $5,000 contribution to South Shore Hospital by the end of the week.