Support Louisiana in the 2012 Paralympic Games

This is Shirts by Guy’s first fundraiser, so help support a fellow Louisiana boy, Mark LeBlanc! This is truly a unique and worthy cause, and I’m excited to be a part of it. Since all my shirts are sports-related, I thought it was only right that my first fundraiser be geared toward the greatest sporting event in the world.....the Olympics.

First, a little background on who and what you will be supporting: Mark was born and raised in New Orleans, attended St. Dominic's, Jesuit, and LSU. He learned to sail at the age of 9, and learned to race in the Optimist fleet, which was pretty much where all the young studs honed their racing skills all over the Gulf Coast. In high school, Mark began sailing Lasers and Club 420's, which is sailor-speak for “badass”. Mark helped Jesuit qualify for and compete in 4 High School Fleet Racing National Championships and 4 High School Team Racing National Championships; bringing home 2 bronzes. At LSU, Mark organized the LSU Sailing Club and was elected the Club President two years in a row.

In March 2006, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated coastal Louisiana and New Orleans, Mark found the 2.4mR class in St. Petersburg, FL. After his first event, Mark was asked to practice with the US Disabled Sailing Team in Miami that May. Oh, did I not mention Mark was born as a below-elbow congenital amputee, and been dominating the regional sailing circuit with only 1.5 arms? Well, this is a fact, and now it was time for him to show his talents to the world. Mark purchased a new 2.4mR (which is a boat) and began a campaign towards the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Mark's 2008 Paralympic Campaign saw him traveling from Finland to Miami and Newport, RI to train and compete in preparation for the US Paralympic Trials. Unfortunately, Mark fell short, barely missing the #1 spot on the team and qualified as an alternate for the 2008 Games. As an alternate, Mark attended a test event in China and was truly amazed at how great an experience it would be to represent the United States at the Paralympics. This is when Mark decided to pursue another Paralympic Campaign for the London Games in 2012.

Despite the challenges that he has faced and the cost of his training and travel, Mark is dedicated to representing, not only the USA, but the great state of Louisiana, at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Team LeBlanc is a non-profit organization, and I can’t tell you how much of his own money he has put up to do something he loves. So, it’s time to support the local boy on the international stage by buying some t-shirts and koozies to raise money to support his training and travel! 100% of net proceeds will go to Mark donated through  through the Delta Olympic Sailing Association, a non profit with 501(c)(3) status.

Go to http://www.team-leblanc.com/ for more information.

PS: If you order multiple shirts, I'll ship them out immediately (minus the Team LeBlanc shirt) for one shipping cost.

Ordering will be open for the next 3 weeks, and customized shirts and koozies will be ordered then. Expect to receive items 2-3 weeks after that. Thanks everyone.