Waltham Resident Organizing T-Shirt Drive to Raise Money for One Fund Boston

Waltham’s Amy Vitale grew up in Watertown – a third generation resident – and thinks of it as a close, quiet community. So, she was shocked to see what was happening last Friday when police fought it out with the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects.

When the chaos came to Watertown she was touched personally because her brother is a detective with the Watertown Police Department.

“I was surprised. In our time, to think something like that would happen would never be imaginable,” Vitale said. “People were surprised and so worried. I am so thankful everyone is safe - my brother (Mark Lewis) and all the law enforcement.”

While the hunt for the second suspect went on, Vitale said she sat in her home “praying that everything would be OK.”

“I am thankful for all that the Watertown Police has done, and all surrounding towns came in to work and help together,” Vitale said.

Vitale wanted to do something to thank them, and to help the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

“I will be forever grateful to the police for binging the community back to being a safe and peaceful place,” Vitale said.

Vitale called CustomInk, the company that will produce the T-shirt and help the fund-raising effort, and got the effort underway.

“They welcomed the idea, so I decided to launch the campaign,” Vitale said.

She created a T-shirt that says Watertown Stands as One, with the number 19 on the back.

“The 19 is for the date that it started in Watertown,” Vitale said. “They are red and black like the town colors and for the high school. Since the community is tight knit and strong, I wanted to see how much could raise for One Fund Boston.”

Her goal is to sell 200 T-shirts, and the deadline is May 7. Shirts cost $20, and all proceeds go to One Fund Boston.

So far Vitale has sold 73 T-shirts, as of Friday morning.

For more information and to order go to: http://campaign.customink.com/watertown.