Like many freelancers, when the coronavirus hit, we suddenly found ourselves with a bit of extra time on our hands. One of the things we did during that time (besides look in the fridge…again) was watch Governor Cuomo’s press conferences*. It was his words that inspired us to do something more:
“I love NY because NY loves you.
New York loves all of you. Black and white and brown and Asian and short and tall and gay and straight. New York loves everyone. That's why I love New York. It always has, it always will. And at the end of the day, my friends, even if it is a long day, and this is a long day, love wins."
*this was months before the scandal, of course.
INSTAGRAM
Within 24 hours of hearing these words way back when the pandemic was really just beginning, we’d decided to design a t-shirt and donate 100% of the profits to support our healthcare workers and first responders. We also launched an Insta account and Facebook page to bring attention to our cause.
SHOW THEM THE $
Six weeks, 2 fundraisers and 1 t-shirt redesign later*, we’d raised nearly $10,000.
*Let’s just say NY state is particular about ownership over their logo
You can read more about it by clicking the headline below.
WEAR A MASK PSA
Governor Cuomo put a call out to New Yorkers to create a video that encourages New Yorkers to wear a mask for the State’s PSA contest -- using the #newyorktough tag.. So we put our own call out...for photos from people who had purchased our NYTough tee, then added an emotional version of “New York, New York.” In the end our video didn’t win -- we didn’t learn until after the fact that they couldn’t consider anything that involved pursuing music rights. Still, we wouldn’t change a thing.
Not only did healthcare workers and first responders appreciate all of our efforts, Governor Cuomo did too. And yes, we’re taking turns giving a home to this love letter..
