Taylor Magee, owner of Taylored To You Creations, has raised over $6000 selling T-shirts on her website with funds going to support Black Lives Matter and Shak's World.
We reached out to Taylor to ask her a few questions about her amazing initiative and the positive reception it has received.
Q: What can you say about the support you've received from the public on this project?
A: The support I've received has been more than I ever could have imagined. My "dream big" goal was to sell 50 shirts and be able to donate $500 dollars. The messages of love and support I've received from friends, family, and total strangers is so crazy to me. I'm so thankful to have so many people behind me, and so happy to see so many people who are down for the cause.
Q: Sounds like you put some friends and family to work on this project, they must be pretty proud of not just themselves, but you too.
A: I absolutely could not have done this without the help of friends and family. When I saw the volume of orders that came in on the first day, I knew this would be way bigger than I had planned. I am so thankful for the help and support I have received, and I'm so proud of what we were able to accomplish together.
Q: Your goal was to sell 50 shirts. Did you find it a little overwhelming when you blew past that goal?
A: Overwhelming is an understatement. I feel like I haven't slept in three weeks! This is the first time I have done something this big, and as exciting as it is, there is also so much stress that comes along with a project of this size. People are starting to get their shirts and hoodies and are tagging me in their posts, wearing them, and telling me how much they love them, which alleviates some of that stress for sure. I love seeing all of the posts and comments, and knowing that all of the stress was worth it.
Q: You've raised $6,000 through the sale of these shirts to be donated to charities that support BLM and black youth within Simcoe County. First off, can you elaborate on which charities? And second, why is it important to you that the funds stay within our community?
A: I donated to Shak's World, as well as Black Lives Matter. When I went to the rally in Barrie I was so inspired by Shak, what she had to say, and what she does for our community. Growing up in Barrie, I know how tough it can be and I think it's important for children to receive as much education and support as possible. Sometimes when donating to these massive organizations you don't really know where the money is going, so I wanted to make sure I donated the money somewhere I knew it would truly make a difference.
Q: You'll continue to make shirts? If so, how can I get my hands on one?
A: After posting, I had a lot of messages from people saying they would still like to purchase, so yes, the website is still up. They can be purchased at tayloredtoyoucreations.
Q: What if I'm full up on shirts, how else can I support the cause?
A: There are lots of amazing organizations for black women, black youth, and black lives matter. Any support right now helps the cause. I think the most important thing right now is people educating themselves on what is going on in the world. I think 2020 has been really eye-opening and has started amazing, important, much-needed conversations.
Featured image courtesy of Taylor Magee via instagram.com
