BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — What was supposed to be a one-year project has turned into a mission lasting more than a decade.
26 Shirts, the Buffalo apparel company founded by Del Reid, is entering its 14th year of turning Buffalo-themed T-shirts into a way to help Western New York families facing serious illness and unexpected hardship.
For Reid, it is a career he never expected.
"Never in a million years would I have thought this was going to be my vocation," Reid said. "I really thought I was just gonna work at a cube for 30 years, retire and then just, you know, be done with my career, but God had other plans."
Born from Bills Mafia
The idea for 26 Shirts developed during the early years of Bills Mafia, as Reid's growing social media presence resulted in families reaching out and asking him to share their stories and fundraisers.
Reid says the connection between the two is inseparable.
"Without Bills Mafia there is no 26 Shirts," Reid said. In 2013, Reid came up with an idea: release 26 Buffalo-themed shirt designs, one every two weeks for one year, with the campaigns helping families in need.
The one-year project never stopped.
With a typical T-shirt purchase, around $8 goes to the campaign beneficiary.
"Every family that is approaching us, it's the worst time of their lives," Reid said. "They're going through something that they never, they didn't plan for, they never expected."
Reid still remembers how significant the first major fundraising milestone felt.
"I remember the first time we did a campaign, and we hit $1,000 for a family, and I remember fist pumping," he said. "Yeah, we've raised $1,000 for this family just through stupid T-shirts."
That first $1,000 was just the beginning.
Nearly 14 years later, Reid says 26 Shirts has created more than 1,000 Buffalo designs, helped more than 600 families and raised more than $2.3 million for families and charitable organizations.
"Sometimes it's like, all I did was blink and now we're here," Reid said.
More than a T-shirt
Reid is quick to share credit for the success of 26 Shirts by pointing to his team and Western New York's willingness to rally around people in need.
"I think it's the City of Good Neighbors," Reid said. "I don't think it's even specific to Bills fans. I think Bills fans live in Western New York. Western New York is a very giving community."
WATCH: 26 Shirts enters 14th year of giving back
For Reid, the designs have become reminders of the people behind them.
"It's two things. I see the shirt, and I see the family that we helped at the same time," Reid said. "A lot of times I'll go through the old shirts and stuff and remember some really amazing stories, and you remember some real heartbreaks as well."
One story that has stayed with Reid dates back to around 2015, when 26 Shirts created a campaign supporting a young girl named Olivia as she underwent chemotherapy.
When Olivia reached the end of her treatment, her family held a celebration and invited Reid.
"I mean, that's super humbling," he said.
For Reid, that illustrates how the shirts provide something beyond financial assistance. They give people a visible way to show a family that the community is behind them.
"It's really just a tangible way for the community to put their arms around someone going through a tough time," Reid said.
The mission continues
That work is continuing with a new campaign benefiting Stevie Kratz, a bartender at Hartman's Distilling who is dealing with bladder cancer.
The new "City of Good Tailgates" design is another example of 26 Shirts connecting the shirt itself with the person the campaign is intended to help.
As 26 Shirts moves into its 14th year, Reid says the goal remains to keep making a difference.
"We're gonna continue to make a difference, and we'll wait and see, you know, what opportunities God brings our way that we're able to do that," Reid said. "But I really want to keep going, keep giving."It's been a journey Reid never expected, but one that has turned out to be exactly where he believes he belongs.
"It really, in my heart, feels like what I'm supposed to do," Reid said.
