BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD
T-Shirt Fundraiser
Courtney Vashaw and Jessie Lanham are donating proceeds from the sales of BE THE GOOD T-shirts to the Sunnybrook Montessori School Scholarship fund. T-shirts range in size from youth x-small (4/5) to Adult x-large. They are currently available for $15 each at the Root Seller in Lancaster.
The Story Behind BE THE GOOD Shirts
When you are diagnosed with cancer, there is a great deal about the world that can seem dark and daunting. But then something happens to give you hope.
When I was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer, in the spring of 2015, my senior students at Profile School astounded the world when they gave up their senior trip and donated their class treasury toward my cancer fight. Soon thereafter, the sophomore Class of 2017, which was advised by my wife, followed their lead and began selling Be The Good shirts. Profits helped defray the costs of my trips to New York for treatment, and I was able to donate the extra funds back into the community.
On my treatment days, I often wore a Be The Good shirt as a way to bolster my spirits and to remind myself that even on my worst days, I could still contribute to the world through small acts of kindness. Soon my radiation team all had their own Be The Good shirts. The shirts quickly sold out many times times over, and it meant the world to me to see them around the community and being worn by friends around the world. The message was spreading!
In the winter of 2017, the world seemed to be in a pretty dark place. The stress and sadness around me was palpable. That’s how we knew it was time to bring the shirts back and use the proceeds to help organizations that share our passion for doing good. We are proud to say that, because of these shirts, thousands of dollars have gone back into the community for individuals experiencing traumatic illnesses, organizations that support cancer patients, and other amazing causes that support social justice, education, the arts, and community improvement.
Sunnybrook Montessori School is, without question, one of the bright “good” (great!) spots in our world, and I’m often reminded that if I hadn’t had cancer, my son wouldn’t have had the chance to go here. Strange how things work out. In some ways, I couldn’t be luckier.
That’s why we are committed to using the Be The Good shirts to raise money for programming and scholarships to Sunnybrook. All proceeds from the sale of each shirt will be donated back to Sunnybrook. This little school is going above and beyond to Be The Good itself and help our children learn how to do the same.
For more information, or to order a shirt in a size that isn’t available today, please contact Courtney Vashaw at [email protected] or 603-616-8157.