TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – For a store that specializes in Florida State apparel like Tallahassee’s Garnet and Gold, softball and baseball postseason usually indicates that last big push of merchandise before fall.
But as the pink and white display of shirts at the entrance of the store’s Pensacola Street location may indicate, the bottom line hasn’t been the first thing on the mind this season.
“We immediately were like, ‘we need to do something to show her that we love and support her.’”
Words from store manager Krislyn Kelley about the store’s want to help following Seminole softball Head Coach Lonni Alameda’s breast cancer diagnosis earlier this spring. The FSU and softball communities have rallied around the woman lovingly called “Coach A” (pronounced Coach-Uh) in may ways, but few have been quite as visible as those pink and white shirts, screen-printed with the school’s iconic “FS” interlock and a pink ribbon adorned with Alameda’s initials and her signature pony tail.
With both Alameda’s blessing and swift approval from Florida State licensing the shirts were rushed into production and have become a huge hit with all proceeds supporting TMH’s Walker Breast Program.
“I’ve just really appreciated that we’re bringing a mindset to something I’m going through, but something so many other people are going through right now,” remarked Alameda, who’s matching every dollar raised.
“They’ve been flying off the shelves and it’s just been incredible to see,” said Kelley of the hot seller. “Everyone’s been coming together as a community to show [Alameda] that we love her and we’re here to support her.”
In less than a month, the shirts have raised in the ballpark of $15,000 of TMH and have become inescapable in the softball world, being purchased for FSU recruits and their high school teams, shown off on an ACC Network and popping up all over campus including from the team next door at Dick Howser Stadium. Florida State baseball surprised Alameda by wearing the shirts when the two teams made a joint trip to Louisville in April.
“She’s a spectacular human being and we know she’s facing a challenge,” remarked baseball coach Link Jarrett of his colleague’s fight and the gesture. “If that moment and that plane trip could give her some excitement and a good feeling then that’s exactly what we wanted to do.”
Friday, the Tallahassee Regional will begin at JoAnne Graf Field and alongside it there’s sure to be plenty of pink alongside the garnet and gold that will fill the stands. A reminder of a fight, and one heck of a team that’s battling to beat an opponent far beyond the foul lines.
“People I don’t even know are wearing these shirts out for a day and ‘we’re doing this for Lonni,’ but we’re doing this for breast cancer,” said a grateful Alameda. “We’re doing this for cancer patients, we’re doing this for people who are going through the fight.”
“You don’t fight alone.”
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