{"id":21923,"date":"2020-01-20T17:23:06","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T22:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.customink.com\/?p=21923"},"modified":"2020-01-20T17:23:43","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T22:23:43","slug":"more-than-a-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.customink.com\/blog\/more-than-a-club\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than a Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

When most people hear the word \u201csummer camp\u201d, visions of cabins, campfires, and calamine lotion come to mind. Not many think about soccer balls, stadiums, and Spain\u2014but for seven-year-old Mia Kristine Elizondo, that\u2019s exactly what her summer camp experience was like.<\/p>\n

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Mia proudly wearing her #bar\u00e7amia custom shirt.<\/p><\/div>\n

This past June, Mia attended her local Futbol Club Barcelona (FC Barcelona) camp in San Antonio, Texas. For those of us who aren\u2019t sport savvy, FC Barcelona is one of the most well-known sports clubs in the world\u2014specifically for soccer fans. Founded in the Catalan region of Spain, it has become a cultural institution to the extent that their motto translates to \u201cMore than a club.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FC Barcelona camps are held across the United States during the summer and are a rigorous commitment. They combine teaching their unique style of soccer play and strategy with the promotion of positive values involving HEART, an acronym standing for humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork. Every summer, a few of the campers are selected to participate in the opportunity of a lifetime\u2014the chance to train in Spain at FC Barcelona\u2019s stadium.<\/p>\n

During her time at camp, Mia strove to be one of those few. \u201cEvery day after the camp, our daughter would ask, \u2018Did I get invited?\u2019\u201d says Mia\u2019s father, Ricardo Elizondo Jr.\u00a0 The camp ended, and the days passed. Suddenly in mid-July, Ricardo received a text on his phone that Mia had been selected. \u201cIt was an experience our whole family will remember forever,\u201d Ricardo says.<\/p>\n

While the text brought amazing news, it also came with a deadline. The family had until September to raise money for Mia to fulfill her dream of playing on the same field as one of her idols. Mia may have kicked her way through the rigorous vetting process to earn her spot in Spain, but the Elizondos still had the rest of the details to figure out in order for her to attend this epic experience.<\/p>\n

With the family juggling all these logistics, Custom Ink\u2019s Fundraising site came in for a save. Through Fundraising, the Elizondos could easily set up a website to collect donations from selling custom shirts. The family could hit their goal, and everyone chipping in would be able to show their pride for Mia.\u00a0 \u201cInstead of showing support for my daughter’s soccer journey, we thought it would be a great idea to wear their support!\u201d says Ricardo.<\/p>\n

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The entire family worked together to support Mia.<\/p><\/div>\n

Through a mixture of text and clipart, the Elizondo family put together a Fundraising campaign for #Bar\u00e7amia\u2014combining the nickname for FC Barcelona and Mia\u2019s name. By creating a slick custom shirt, they were able to provide a fashionable incentive for people to support Mia. It was a win-win situation, with every shirt sold helping fund Mia\u2019s trip. Some of the donors went above and beyond adding in extra money toward the cause, which Custom Ink Fundraising makes possible. With the campaign, the Elizondos were also able to see heartfelt messages from everyone rooting for Mia and helping her with her cause.<\/p>\n

While the initial cost to send Mia to camp may have seemed daunting at the time, the support for the #Bar\u00e7amia campaign was life-changing. \u201cFriends, family, and coaches all rallied around our daughter and came through in a BIG way. We could not imagine how we would have ever done it without their support. Every day we were in tears as we were constantly surprised by those who were not only purchasing shirts but donating to help my daughter fulfill her dreams,\u201d says Ricardo.<\/p>\n

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Try these tips to start
\nyour own t-shirt fundraiser<\/div>\n
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  1. \n
    Pick a great cause and a name.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Choose a bold color combination.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Create your design.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    Set up the fundraiser.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n
    Tell everyone you know.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n