Posted by Laura Snyder on Wednesday, September 4, 2019
By Thursday, her post had gone viral, with Vols fans from around the nation leaving notes of encouragement for their fellow Volunteer. As the post garnered more and more attention, it wasn’t long before the University reached out to Snyder wanting to send the student a care package full of apparel and school swag.
“You all have taken this above and beyond what I had ever imagined,” she wrote.
Snyder updated her Facebook post again on Friday, sharing about the moment she got to witness her student opening the package from UT.
“My student was so amazed at all the goodies in the box,” she said. “He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box. All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people.”
But the Volunteers weren’t done yet.
The school took it one step further, announcing they would be making his hand-drawn “U.T.” design into an official T-shirt.
“Share in a Florida elementary student’s Volunteer pride by wearing his design on your shirt too!,” the university’s official campus store said on Twitter.
Share in a Florida elementary student’s Volunteer pride by wearing his design on your shirt too! Pre-order today for a late September expected delivery. A portion of proceeds from every shirt sold will be donated to @STOMPOutBullyng .https://t.co/NdnTtYREFL pic.twitter.com/OeTZvgC09Y
— VolShop (@UTVolShop) September 6, 2019
According to the University, a portion of the proceeds from each T-shirt sold will go to STOMP Out Bullying, an anti-bullying foundation committed to “changing the culture for all students”
“When I told him that his design was being made into a real shirt and people wanted to wear it, his jaw dropped,” said Snyder. “He had a big smile on his face, walked taller, and I could tell his confidence grew today!”
Demand for the student’s T-shirt was so high on Saturday that it crashed the University of Tennessee’s online shop.
Blown away by the support, Snyder extended a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who came together to champion on her student’s behalf, and for showing the rest of her class what it looks like to “come together and be kind.”
“Personally, I’m looking forward to wearing the shirt he designed. It’ll be the one and only piece of orange clothing that this Seminoles fan will ever wear!”
