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Seven years later, local company continues to give the shirt off its back to Buffalo

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Seven years ago, a local company launched an innovative way to raise funds and awareness for families and foundations in need through the sale of limited edition, sports-themed t-shirts.

Del Reid and Dan Gigante created 26 Shirts, where local artists' designs are printed on a time-limited run of shirts with a portion of the shirts' sales going directly to the families in need.

Since the company's kick-off, over $665,000 has been raised and donated in Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander is teaming up with 26 Shirts to launch the first shirt of this seventh volume. The cause that will benefit from sales of the exclusive "Lorenzo" design is Andre Sanders, a local 4-year-old boy fighting a rare form of kidney cancer.

"26 Shirts is about giving back to families in need while fostering a sense of pride in both a city's
identity and its sports teams. We are excited to be
working with Lorenzo Alexander, one of our biggest supporters over the years, to do what we
can to help the Sanders family during their time of trial."
-Del Reid, co-founder of 26 Shirts

Over the years, we have seen some memorable shirts paired with some incredible stories.

You can check out the limited edition jacket and the story behind the 26 Shirts creation for Buffalo Bills super fan Ezra Castro, known as Pancho Billa.

In March of 2018, we shared with you the story of 16-year-old Timothy Richardson. At the time, Richardson, an aspiring firefighter, would wear a different t-shirt from a different firehouse each day.

And it is stories like the won we shared with you about Sebastian Bradley, that inspire and give hope.