EAST LANSING, Mich. — For one whole year, shirts that say "Spartan Strong" have been nearly everywhere in Michigan.
On Feb. 13, 2023, Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alex Verner lost their lives after a gunman opened fire on Michigan State University's campus.
As the campus looks back on the somber day one year later, these shirts offer a symbol of connection and community.
"Most people, you walk by on the street, and you don't know who they are, what they do or what the background is," Gabe Viscomi said. "But when you walk by someone with a Spartan strong shirt, it's like, oh, we have a connection that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise."
Viscomi is a co-owner of Nudge Printing, one of the local businesses that printed the shirts. 100% of the proceeds went to the Spartan Strong Fund, a way to benefit victims and their families, current MSU students, and safety on campus.
Nudge Printing alone sold nearly 17,000 shirts, raising $155,000 for the fund. Viscomi credited the supportive community and countless volunteers.
"We have volunteers that donated like 30, 40 hours a week. Just like folding shirts, and packing up shirts and sending out shirts for people," Viscomi said. "That was really, really impressive. It's just like, how many people wanted to help and contribute.
Viscomi is an MSU grad himself. He says, to him, the phrase "Spartan Strong" is a sign of the strong community that lasts long after you graduate.
"It's still going strong," Viscomi said. "I still feel the sense of community online."
For current students, he offered some words of encouragement.
"There are certainly people out there that are not looking to do good, and that they're looking to harm others," Viscomi said. "But there are so many more good ones."
The Spartan Strong Fund recently announced they set aside money to reimburse people for mental health treatment they sought after the shooting. You can find applications for that reimbursement here.
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