The Power of the “T”

Almost all Walks have a t-shirt that people receive for raising a certain amount of money, and NAMIWalks is no different. Walkers who raise $100 or more receive a NAMIWalks t-shirt. These shirts have become significant in the lives of many; some walkers collect the t-shirts and have one from every year they have participated in NAMIWalks. The t-shirts serve as a reminder of their dedication to NAMI’s mission, the hard work they have put in to fundraising and spreading awareness during each NAMIWalk season, and the passion they feel toward improving the lives of individuals living with mental illness and their loved ones.

In addition to the official NAMIWalks t-shirt, there is another significant t-shirt for NAMIWalk participants -- the team t-shirt! The team t-shirts add excitement and FUN to the NAMIWalk, because they’re bright, colorful and usually include a witty statement. Most teams love creating a t-shirt for all of their members to wear on Walk day, because it shows their dedication to the event and wanting to help stomp out the stigma around mental illness.

Team members usually meet to decide their t-shirt's theme and design. This is a great activity to gather team members together before Walk day to get their creative juices flowing and to inspire them to continue fundraising and spreading awareness! After the t-shirts are designed and printed, the team members wear them proudly on Walk day because they know they had a part in creating the shirts.

We at NAMI love to see the t-shirts, especially the sea of people wearing like-shirts as they walk the event path. Most NAMIWalks vote on the team with the best t-shirt and presents the team captain with a prize.

So get excited and create a t-shirt that expresses your team’s feelings toward improving lives and changing minds around mental illness! We can’t wait to see what your team will design! The power of the "T" can bring unity to your team!