United By Distance: Bridgewater Friends Sell T-Shirts For Charity

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater friends Sam Sherman and Tessa Lewis designed and are selling "United By Distance" T-shirts to benefit those affected by the coronavirus.

"Both of us are very grateful to have maintained our employment throughout this pandemic, and we wanted to give back while abiding by social distancing," Sherman said.

The pair had met in art class during their freshman year at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. After graduation in 2015 they remained close.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

When the pandemic hit, Sherman came up with the idea to develop a T-shirt to benefit those less fortunate and Lewis executed on the design. The shirts display the saying "United by Distance" along with two bell curves.

"We wanted to design a T-shirt that allowed people to proudly display their commitment to flattening the curve. The steep and flattened bell curves have truly become representative of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the image will remain symbolic of sacrifice and unity when we look back in a few years," Sherman said.

The shirts are selling for $18. All proceeds are donated to charity. At checkout customers can choose one of three charities: Feeding America who is helping those in need of food, One Fair Wage who is helping hourly workers in need of financial resources, and Save The Children who is helping children in need of financial support.

"We are very honored to play a part in helping others during this tough time and are very humbled by the support we've received from our community," Sherman said. "Many of us are experiencing tragic losses of loved ones, financial hardships, and extreme mental fatigue as a result of COVID-19, and while we are physically distanced, we stand united."

For more information or to purchase a shirt visit unitedbydistance2020.spiritsale.com.

• Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.