As the United States faces the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it's almost impossible to find an aspect of society that hasn't been affected.
That includes the Red Cross, which finds itself facing a severe blood shortage due to the number of blood drives that have been cancelled as the result of social distancing and other measures to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
After Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made note of the issue during one of his daily coronavirus addresses earlier this week, Columbus-based apparel manufacturer Homage decided to put his words into action.
On Wednesday, Homage released a new t-shirt and crewneck sweatshirt quoting words of encouragement made by DeWine.
"We are Ohioans. We are Buckeyes. We are strong," the apparel reads.
A portion of net proceeds from sales of the shirt (which retails for $32) and the sweatshirt (which retails for $60) will be donated to the Red Cross. Both the t-shirt and sweatshirt are available for purchase at Homage.com -- although neither will be available to ship until April 13 at the earliest as the company's distribution center abides by Ohio's stay at home order.
Last week, Homage released a t-shirt and sweatshirt paying tribute to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. As of Tuesday, Ohio has had 564 positive cases of the coronavirus, 145 of which have resulted in hospitalization and eight deaths.