Recently the nonprofit To Write Love On Her Arms or TWLOHA for short announced they will be doing a new shirt with Christina Perri. Before the announcement Warped Tour rep Jason chatted with us about the company and the support the nonprofit has gotten from all different bands. The Christina Perri shirt will begin to ship on September 1st but is already available to pre-order. The shirt can be ordered here and a photo is below!
Q: How did the organization start?
A: We started in february of 2006 by printing some t-shirts to help put a friend (Renee) through treatment. We then took the story of her struggles and redemption and put it on our MySpace. From there we heard from people all over that were able to connect with Renee’s pain and struggles and also connect to her redemption as she entered treatment. Now we hear from people all over the world with stories of pain and success who have found our site and wanted to share.
Q: Which band has shown the most support over the years?
A: We are fortunate enough to get support from many different artists. John Foreman of the band Switchfoot was the first to ever wear a shirt. We are very thankful for any support that any band or artist has ever given to help promote our mission.
Q: What is the best part about the fans at warped?
A: Their willingness to learn and support. Fans will come to the tent curious or empowered to help support our mission in any way that they can. It is awesome to see how motivated they are for change and to better things for their generation. Warped Tour has a whole section of a bunch of different non-profits that address all sorts of social issues, and kids spend a lot of time learning and educating themselves to help inspire change.
Q: If the organization had a theme song by a band on tour, what song would it be?
A: I think if you were to ask each member of our team, they would say something different!! We have a very diverse team, with different tastes!
Q: What are the plans for the organization?
A Our plan for the fall is to continue to work on our current projects that promote our mission. Our founder will be speaking at colleges all over the country and we are trying to launch a high school program in addition to the U-Chapter program that we already have in place.
Q: What social networks do you utilize and how can people interact with the organization?
A: We are trying to keep up with all social media outlets because it is constantly changing and the amount of people that you can reach through these mediums are incredible.
Q: What is the most beneficial part of being on a tour like Warped?
A: We can reach upwards of 600,000 people in one summer on Warped Tour. It is an opportunity that needs to be taken when you are able to reach numbers like that. Warped tour is also a great chance to meet other NPO’s and industry that support your cause.
Q: What was the most inspirational story you have heard from someone who has visited your booth?
A: This is a tough question, because we hear stories from people almost every day. Some of them are sad, but most of them are hopeful. It would be almost impossible to pick just one. I have been touched by so many people’s willingness to share and their courage through their struggles. Everyone that comes to the tent has a beautiful story to tell, I get inspired by anyone that comes to our tent.