Wear your colors! Show off your hometown pride with a customized t-shirt. The shirts are a great way to demonstrate your love for your neighborhood. Use them for special events, as fundraisers and to show off your affection for where you live.

When North Cumberland, Pennsylvania was celebrating its 175th Anniversary, t-shirts dotted the town. The anniversary committee designed a shirt with a sketch of the town’s beloved oak tree. It said, “Deep Roots and Still Growing.” The shirts were sold in all of the downtown shops to raise money for the celebration activities and the library. They were a huge hit at the annual Apple Festival where visitors come from all over the state to sample North Cumberland’s goods. The simple t-shirt brought in thousands of dollars for the town.

Hometown pride t-shirts make great gifts for friends and family, especially those who have moved out of town. They get to celebrate their roots and show off their true colors. They are a wonderful way for kids to take their town with them to college. And, these shirts are becoming quite trendy on campuses across the country.

Use the t-shirts as a way to advertise hometown businesses, charities and upcoming events. The downtown Kepsburg business group creates a new t-shirt for every summer. Each year, there’s a different picture of a town landmark with a list of summer events. They hold a contest for the summer’s slogan. Over the years, t-shirts have had sentimental slogans like “We Remember” with a picture of the old mill before it caught fire and burned to the ground that winter. Other years, have been fun summer themes like “Summer Slidin’” with a picture of the mayor on a park sliding board. A new playground had been put in that spring.

The t-shirts are sold in downtown shops and at all the events. Some neighbors have been collecting them for years! The t-shirts from years passed are considered vintage and are becoming quite hip with teenagers. A favorite with the kids is “Angie Watch 2003.” Angelina Jolie was in town for a week shooting a scene for a movie that year. And, every year, a few dozen “bonus” t-shirts are ordered. On the front, they simply say, “T-shirt XXXX (insert year).” On the back, “Kepsburg’s annual summer T. www.kepsburgdowntown.com.” The “rarities” sell for $25. Teenagers love them!

Use the t-shirts as a fundraiser. It could be for a new fire truck, to save the old theater or for a special event. Sell the t-shirts at area stores, the town hall, at events and your website. You can expect to raise about $5 a shirt. By using the website, people who’ve moved away can easily buy t-shirts, too, and show off their hometown pride wherever they live.

Customized t-shirts are easy to order online. Pick from pre-designed ideas or design your own. Pick sizes, styles and colors. Add photos, graphics or artwork and then text and names. Be sure to include your town’s website somewhere on the shirt. The more shirts you order, the bigger discount you can usually expect. It takes a couple weeks for your shirts to arrive.