A Reflection by Joseph Cassidy

In the years that I had the privilege to work at Our Lady’s University, I quickly learned—and was often reminded—never to underestimate the possibility of a simple idea or the potential of the Notre Dame family, particularly the students.

A shining example is The Shirt Project. What started as a student’s simple idea has grown into a university tradition that visibly demonstrates the unmatched spirit and school pride of Notre Dame. The Shirt is now renowned far beyond campus, but more importantly, the proceeds from the project have had a far-reaching positive impact and have touched the lives of so many.

Building on the fundraiser t-shirt that Brennan Harvath created, Hall Presidents’ Council assisted Sister Jean Lenz, a former Assistant Vice President in the Office of Student Affairs, and me in creating and selling what was billed as “The T-Shirt for the Cause” just a few weeks later. We sold 32,300 t-shirts for the October 20, 1990, football game against the University of Miami. We generated over $100,000 to assist with the medical expenses of Chinese graduate student, Zhengde Wang, who was seriously injured when he was hit by a car.

Those of us who were involved in those two t-shirt projects twenty years ago never imagined what The Shirt Project would develop into. However, I am sure that I speak for all of us when I say that I am extremely proud of how it has grown and stayed true to its original ideals. Now selling upwards of 140,000 t-shirts annually, The Shirt certainly demonstrates the unmatched school spirit of the Notre Dame family. More importantly—with half of the proceeds continuing to be used to support Notre Dame students who suffer from catastrophic illnesses and accidents, establish scholarships in the name of students who have met untimely deaths, and make funds available to individual students who would not otherwise be able to participate in co-curricular activities important to their Notre Dame experience—The Shirt continues to touch the lives of many members of Our Lady’s University.

Lastly, The Shirt continues to be an incredible educational experience for the students who coordinate the many aspects of this sizable project. I salute them for their efforts, and remind them to continue to pursue simple ideas that can have such a lasting effect.

Joseph Cassidy