Shop Local Kentucky to Launch T-Shirt to Benefit DanceBlue

Shop Local Kentucky from UK DanceBlue on Vimeo. Video produced by UK DanceBlue.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 20, 2016) — It is no surprise that University of Kentucky DanceBlue’s mission and personality is infectious. Shop Local Kentucky, a local T-shirt printing business geared towards Kentucky state apparel, certainly isn’t immune. The Lexington-based business will be launching a T-shirt that will benefit DanceBlue year-round on Friday, Sept. 23.

Rick Paynter, owner of Shop Local Kentucky, has been excited to work with the student run philanthropy since day one.

“Being a UK alum myself, I think that there’s probably not a more exciting initiative, both on campus and statewide going on [as DanceBlue],” Paynter said.

Shop Local Kentucky’s first T-shirt design when the business began was the “Keep the Grass Blue” shirt. Since growing, the local printing business retired the shirt and is now bringing it back "For The Kids."

“There’s nothing better than going back, reviving the 'Keep the Grass Blue' shirt … and donating 100 percent of the net proceeds to DanceBlue,” Paynter said.

The “Keep the Grass Blue” shirt will launch on Friday, Sept. 23, both online and in-store. Community members are encouraged to visit the store on Woodland Avenue to see the shirt, enjoy Mad Scoops “DanceBlue Cookie Monster” ice cream and learn more about DanceBlue.

Shop Local Kentucky will be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Mad Scoops ice cream stand will be set up at the store from 12:30 to 3 p.m to take part in celebrating DanceBlue and Kentucky local business.

DanceBlue is the University of Kentucky's 24-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon that benefits the Golden Matrix Fund and the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic through the Golden Matrix Fund. Now in its 12th year, DanceBlue has raised more than $9.8 million dollars for pediatric cancer research and child life efforts.

For more information about DanceBlue, registration information or to support its efforts, please visit http://danceblue.org. Connect with DanceBlue on Facebook at www.facebook.com/danceblue and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UKDanceBlue.

DanceBlue is a program housed in the UK Center for Community Outreach (CCO). The CCO seeks to serve, connect and unite the University of Kentucky with the surrounding community in collaborative efforts to promote lifelong community service. 

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

DANCEBLUE CONTACT: Kaylee Hobbs, UK DanceBlue public relations chair, PR@danceblue.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Katy Bennett, 859-257-1909; katy.bennett@uky.edu; Rebecca Stratton, 859-323-2395; rebecca.stratton@uky.edu