The Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) has made a $5,000 contribution to the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s #MontCoStrong t-shirt fundraiser, which supports the MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund.

With the community’s support, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) has raised more than $13,000 for Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Response Fund from the #MontCoStrong t-shirt fundraiser.

The IDA’s donation brings the total to more than $18,000. The organization is extending the fundraiser throughout the summer with a goal of selling more than 1,000 shirts, and raising $25,000.

“The #MontcoStrong Fund provides valuable assistance to the truly needy residents of Montgomery County,” said Eric Pritchard, Chairman of the IDA Board. “Our board approved this contribution enthusiastically.”

The IDA has assisted manufacturing firms, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations. The authority aims to maintain a high level of employment, and create and maintain business opportunities.

“We hope our contribution raises the awareness of the Fund throughout the County,” said Richard DePiano, Jr., Treasurer of the IDA Board.

The VFTCB’s #MontCoStrong initiative has sold more than 640 t-shirts at $25 apiece with all of the proceeds being collected for the MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund, which was established to support local relief efforts in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“We would like to thank the IDA for their generosity to the Montco community,” said Mike Bowman, President & CEO of the VFTCB. “This group does great work for the county, and this very large donation is going to help a lot of people in need. Montgomery County businesses coming together is what’s going to get us all through this.”  

The fund is exclusively assisting community safety net organizations critically impacted by the current public health crisis such as those serving low-income and food-insecure residents, senior citizens, veterans, homeless and homebound individuals.

The VFTCB designed the shirt, and partnered with DJB Specialties, Inc., a VFTCB member in North Wales that specializes in custom apparel and promotional products. The staff at DJB’s facility is wearing gloves and masks at all times. All items will be handled using COVID-19 guidelines as issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The VFTCB continues to ask those buying shirts to share who they’re #MontCoStrong for by posting images of themselves wearing the shirts on social media. The organization is also continuing to raise awareness and remind folks to support local businesses through blog content on its website, social media channels, and billboards.

To order a shirt, please visit https://www.valleyforge.org/montco-strong-t-shirts/, or https://www.djbspecialties.com/showrooms.htm.

The MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund is a partnership between Montgomery County HealthSpark Foundation, Montgomery County Foundation, Inc., VNA Foundation of Greater North Penn, BLBB Charitable, AmerisourceBergen Foundation, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Inc., Genuardi Family Foundation, and Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia, and the County’s three nonprofit collaboratives BuxMont Collaborative, TriCounty Community Network, and the Interagency Council of Norristown are also founding partners. The partners have seeded the fund with $250,000, but more donations will be needed to meet the demand.

If people want to make a tax deductible donation directly to the fund, they can do so online at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19, or by check payable to Montgomery County Foundation, Inc., with MontcoPA COVID-19 Response Fund in the memo, and mailed to Montgomery County Foundation, Inc., 4 Sentry Parkway, #302, Blue Bell, PA 19422. The Montgomery County Foundation, Inc.’s EIN is 23-3070457.*