Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve After the Sandy Hook Tragedy

[caption id="attachment_596" align="alignnone" width="565"]Honoring the Fallen at a Sports Game Image source: Greenwichtime.com[/caption] Everyone grieves in their own way. Some prefer to do it in the public venue, wearing their hearts on their sleeves for the whole world to see. It’s hardly surprising that people poured their support into Newtown, Connecticut in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. There have been hundreds of Internet posts, posters, memorial candles, and t-shirts to commemorate the fallen. Here’s a look at how some of the people across America are expressing their sadness while supporting the families of the victims.

Volleyball Players Warm Up to Newtown

[caption id="attachment_597" align="aligncenter" width="403"]We Will Remember T-Shirts Image source: Facebook.com/BallWithTheLadyVols[/caption] The lady’s volleyball team at the University of Tennessee honored the children who were lost during the massacre by wearing embroidered t-shirts during the warm-up. UT players wore the school colors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School, while their opponents from Baylor University wore “We Will Remember” shirts.

Providence College Wears Sandy Hook Jerseys

[caption id="attachment_598" align="aligncenter" width="503"]Sandy Hook Jerseys Image source: Yardbarker.com[/caption] Providence College went all out in honoring the fallen children. With the help of Nike, they created custom jerseys that replaced each player’s name with “Sandy Hook,” and they swapped their typical black and silver colors in favor of the elementary school’s green and white color pattern. They also blocked off 26 seats with the message, “Newtown, Connecticut: We Have You In Our Thoughts and Prayers.”

Chris Johnson’s R.I.P. Shoes

[caption id="attachment_599" align="aligncenter" width="512"]Chris Johnson's RIP Shoes Image source: Theleafchronicle.com[/caption] Titans running back Chris Johnson showed Newtown, CT his support during his match against the New York Jets by writing the names of each victim onto his shoes. With all eyes on him, Johnson carried the ball 122 yards for a game-winning touchdown. It would have been nice if the football players could have shown their support more openly, but it’s a bit understandable considering that the NFL has strict uniform regulations. These shoes gave off a humble, yet powerful message of support to the victims’ families.

T-Shirt Donation Drives

[caption id="attachment_600" align="alignnone" width="588"]Sandy Hook T-shirt Donation Drive Image source: Facebook.com/SandyHookTShirts[/caption] Small donation drives like this one have cropped up all around the US, offering commemorative t-shirts and sending the proceeds to help the victims’ families. After tragedies like these, businesses can help spread support in ways that individuals couldn’t hope to replicate. With a much wider audience, companies that order custom t-shirts and donate the profits can send thousands of dollars to help devastated communities.   Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to decide how he or she honors the people who passed away at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Some prefer a simple, humble expression of support by handing out a few t-shirts to friends and family. Others take a much more active role by selling hundreds or thousands of embroidered shirts in hopes of sending the profits to help cope with the tragedy. Businesses can empower charity movements by spreading the message to a much wider audience. No matter how large or small your contribution, supporting the families of the victims in the wake of such a terrible event can help make the grieving process just a little bit easier.
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