Like a Good Neighbor

Aug 1, 2008

To aid a local community devastated by recent floods, Hopper's Silk Screen gave away T-shirts screen printed with this logo to people who donated $10 or more in money and supplies.

Mark Hopper, president of Hopper's Silk Screen, Fond du Lac, Wis., knows his company barely escaped a major heartache, as recent floodwaters — which still plague the Midwest — came within 50 yards of his shop and could have destroyed his facility.

"The water was four to five feet deep over there, and somehow we didn't get a drop," he says. "We only moved to this location in March, and it wouldn't have been covered by flood insurance."

The company now is helping its neighbors recover from the floods. With the support of local radio stations Sunny 97.7 and TCX 96.1, Hopper's organized a drive to collect canned goods, non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies and monetary donations. The screen printing company printed 1,000 T-shirts with the phrase "Divided By Water, United By Fellowship."

Each person who donated $10 or more in money or supplies received a shirt, which was designed by Hopper's graphic artist Tammy Iloncaie. Proceeds went to the local Salvation Army, which lost nearly all its food pantry goods in the flood.

Hopper's has strong ties to the local community, having been in business for 30 years. Its business niche is primarily teams and schools, although it also has some corporate accounts.

The 12-employee shop has a two-head digital printer and several manual presses. — Liz Aull

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