OKC Artist Designs T-Shirts For Boston Bombing Victims

The bombing in Boston brought back many memories for Oklahomans, many who want to reach out and help those affected.

Ashley Griffith, an Oklahoma City artist, is one of them. Being a Red Cross volunteer during the 1995 OKC bombing, she said she just felt compelled to do something.

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"I just tried to do everything I could at that time to help and seeing the Boston bombing and hearing about that, it brought back all those images and again I wanted to do something to help."

Her cause came to light after she designed a T-shirt for a friend to wear during the upcoming OKC Memorial. That one shirt quickly turned into a fundraiser for Boston amputees.

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"I just wanted something simple that people could wear if they wanted to run in it or wear it in support," she said.

Griffith said she designed the image, "Oklahoman's Run 4 Boston" on a green T-shirt and posted it on Facebook. That's all it took. She said the orders started to the pour in.

"I was completely surprised, I was not expecting the response I got," said Griffith. "I ordered 20 shirts and thought that would be enough."

She realized that wasn't enough. She needed more, a lot more. So, she called in for backup with Reflective Edge Screenwriting, who offered to donate its services. Together, they created 500 T-shirts.

"I'm really speechless in all the responses that I've been getting and people saying ‘thank you,'" she said. "To me, it's just a simple thing. It's a T-shirt. It's money going towards a great cause."

The shirts cost $20 with $15, or all profits, going to the 13 Boston bombing victims who lost a limb, to help purchase and maintain their prosthetics. A true blessing, says Josh DeLozier with Limbs for Life.

"It truly is devastating for their lives," DeLozier said. "It changes everything about them, whether it be the clothes that they put on, the activities that they do or the work that they go to every single day. So, for them to get a limb back, it truly does give them their life back."

The shirts go on sale Monday at a.k.a. gallery, located in Oklahoma City's Paseo Arts District at 3001 Paseo. Griffith said she will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

People wanting to make a straight donation to the Boston aid effort can do so through the One Fund online or you can send a check by mail to One Fund Boston, Inc., 800 Boylston Street #990009, Boston, MA 02199.