Visit Indy selling T-shirts online to support community impacted by COVID-19 crisis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tourism is one of the industries that has taken the biggest hit worldwide because of the COVID-19 crisis. It’s an impact that has been felt in the city of Indianapolis, where more than 83,000 people depend on tourism to make a living.

With the coronavirus pandemic, the city’s events have come to a screeching halt, shutting down restaurants, museums and hotels. Visit Indy decided, with their hospitality and tourism staff hurting from the economic fallout of the virus, that they would do something to lessen the blow.

They’re selling $10 T-shirts online and 100% of the proceeds will be given to the United Way of Central Indiana COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund and the Indy Arts and Culture Relief Fund to support the Arts Council of Indianapolis. They say the money will be split in half between the two causes.

“It’s a great opportunity for the community to come together,” Visit Indy’s Nate Swick said.

Once people purchase a shirt their size, the shirts are shipped to your front door, with the color left as a surprise. Swick says they want to send a message to encourage everyone, but especially the arts community with their hashtag #IndyKeepsCreating. When the threat of the pandemic passes, they hope to pick up where they left off.

“This is not going to bring the arts world down,” Swick said. “We’re going to keep creating and find innovative ways to bring the arts to the city.”

The campaign has already seen 9,000 T-shirts sold. They want to make it to 10,000 tees sold before it’s all said and done. The deadline to purchase a T-shirt for the cause is 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

If you’d like to buy an Indy shirt or donate to the cause Click HERE.

Visit Indy is encouraging people to also spread the word by wearing the official tee and sharing the hashtags #LoveIndy and #IndyKeepsCreating on your social media pages.