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Wear these T-shirts with a message: #stayhome

T-shirts and hoodies send a message of physical distancing while helping Port Moody’s Eagle Ridge Hospital
#stayhome
Profits from the sale of #stayhome t-shirts and hoodies will go to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.

A timely message is helping raise money for a hospital people hopefully won’t have to use if they heed its words.

Vancouver Apparel, a Vancouver-based designer of branded casual wear, has released a line of T-shirts and hoodies with the admonition “#stayhome” printed on the front, with all profits going to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation.

Colton Schock, who founded the company three years ago, said while inclusivity and community have always been a part of his company’s mission, a personal connection to the Port Moody hospital inspired his desire to help as staff work on the front lines in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For me right now, community is huge,” Schock said, adding he has had family members treated at Eagle Ridge and has always been impressed by its strong ties to the surrounding community.

Schock said as the public health emergency has intensified, he wanted to escalate his own efforts to pitch in.

“You feel like you want to do something to make a difference,” he said of the hashtag, which reminds people of the importance of maintaining physical distance to quash the transmission of the novel coronavirus.

Since founding Vancouver Apparel, the company has donated a percentage of its profits to local causes, like the BC Children’s Hospital. 

Schock said maintaining that spirit of giving back and supporting the community is especially important as people and businesses struggle with massive upheavals to their usual routines.

“When times are tough, you feel like you’re part of the solution,” he said.

Response to the #stayhome wear, which is available on the company’s website or through its Instagram account, has been strong, Schock said.

But more importantly, he added, he hopes people pay attention to its message.