I really want one of those T-shirts

First of all, kudos to council member Travis Mitchell for his fantastic Fourth of July fireworks photo that he first posted on Facebook and which dominates the front page of this week’s Hays Free Press. That’s prize-winning, museum-worthy photography and my hat’s off to not only the result, but what he had to do to capture the dramatic photo.

My very first reaction when I extracted the local weekly paper from my mailbox today was "Man, would I love to have a T-shirt with that picture on the front of it. But not just the picture, mind you. I would also want that Hays Free Press headline, ‘Kyle Lights,’ in that same neo-neon lime green/lemon yellow color that the paper superimposed on the photograph."

And the more I thought about it, the more I thought I might not be the only person who would like an artifact like that. As my mind continued to wander, I thought the Free Press could offer the shirt as some kind of incentive for new or renewing subscribers. See, I’m one of those who believes every household should receive and read its hometown newspaper.

But the more I thought about it, the more I liked this idea: Mitchell’s council colleague David Wilson is trying to raise funds for a veterans memorial to be located at the pond in front of the Performing Arts Center. So I’m wondering whether Mitchell, Wilson and the Hays Free Press could find a way to collaborate on a program to print not only T-shirts, but also posters (hoodies? sweatshirts?), of Mitchell’s photograph as shown in this week’s paper with any and all profits going towards the realization of Wilson’s veterans memorial.

I’m open to other ideas for how to use this picture to raise awareness of Kyle and its civic efforts (or any other worthwhile cause someone might want to propose). All I know is that I really want one of those T-shirts, not only for myself (although, to be perfectly honest, I really want one for myself), but also for gift-giving occasions.

It’s just too good to pass up.