T-shirt sales will benefit local soldiers, families

By Nick Schneider SHOWING SUPPORT: Scott Wellington of Linton, owner of Scott's Custom Signs, is teaming up with the Greene County Daily World to provide T-shirts honoring the local National Guardsmen. Proceeds will be given to the Family Readiness Group.

The Greene County Daily World is partnering with a Linton sign/shirt business to offer for sale specially designed T-shirts honoring local National Guardsmen now deployed in Iraq.

The T-shirts are the creative work of Scott Wellington of Scott's Custom Signs in Linton. The group photo on the shirts was taken by Greene County Daily World Assistant Editor Nick Schneider prior to the deployment in December of members of Indiana National Guard unit Alpha 1-151 Team Avenger -- a part of Task Force 1-151, 76th Infantry Combat Team, based in Linton,

Proceeds from the shirt sales will be donated to the local Family Readiness Group (FRG) to provide for the troops and their families.

The shirts, which will be available Monday, come in a variety of children's and adult sizes to 4X.

Regular sizes are $10 each with 2X, 3X and 4X selling for $12.50 apiece.

"We're going to be doing the screen print on the shirts right here in our shop. If a person comes in and has a request for a size that we don't have on hand, we can order it. If we have the size on hand, we have the supplies and the transfers and can do it for them while they wait," he explained. "I want to try and keep some different shirt sizes on hand so they are readily be available for the families and anyone in the community."

Wellington said the reason he got involved in this community project is simple.

He comes from a family of several military veterans and said, "How do you repay these guys for what they give to us? These guys are out there doing what they do so we can do what we do everyday."

The kauki-colored shirts are but a small symbol for the scarifies that the National Guardsmen and their families are contributing to the cause of freedom and to fight global terrorism.

Wellington called the Guardsmen "true heroes."

"I classify these guys as Greene County's bravest. It's the only way to word it. People can say they are brave, but these guys face death every hour on the hour," he said. "We can plan ahead. They don't know what to expect from day to day."

Wellington, a 1987 graduate of Linton-Stockton High School, started the sign shop business, located on State Road 54 West with his wife, Kathy, about two years ago.

He added the shirt shop about a month ago.

Wellington previously worked about 20 years in the auto body repair business.

A large number of the Team Avenger members are on their second deployment to the Iraqi area. The unit deployed for 13 months in 2003 -- returning on Feb. 14, 2004.

This deployment is expected to last until late November, according to an announcement several weeks ago.

Wellington said it would be great to greet the soldiers when they return to the area with a large number of community members wearing these special T-shirts.

Wellington said he realizes that the personal sacrifices made by the Guardsmen is a voluntary one, because each signed up for duty.

"They don't have the option to say no," he said. "They've put their lives on line."

To order a shirt, contact Wellington at 699-1111 or call the Greene County Daily World office at 847-4487.

Information about the shirts will also be posted on Scott's Sign Shop's website at www.scottscustomsign.com.