T-shirt shop tackles important causes

VERMILION — Brian Szabo established a home-field advantage in his hometown's store. Szabo Apparel Co. in downtown Vermilion offers dozens of unique, creative and trendy T-shirts paying homage to his all-time favorite team, the Cleveland Browns. "I'm a huge football fan," said Szabo, a 1992 Vermilion High School graduate, who still maintains a city residency today. Some, however, carry a more special meaning. During the past year, Szabo teamed up with Browns punter Jamie Gillan to print three commemorative shirts. Proceeds from shirts referencing Gillan benefit the Wounded Warriors Project. The charity and veterans service organization assists veterans injured in combat stemming from post-9/11 conflicts. "We have raised several thousands of dollars," said Szabo, who's a U.S. Marines veteran. Two of Szabo's children, Jakob in the Marines and Elizabeth in the Navy, also serve in the military. Gillan father, Colin, meanwhile, serves in the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force. People can purchase those shirts and others at Szabo's store, 5571 Liberty Ave. (U.S. 6), which opened about three years ago. His other shirts feature many different themes, ranging from other Cleveland sports teams to Vermilion icons and slogans. "Things just took off from there," said Szabo, who designs and creates all of his shirts in-house. Szabo also enjoys paying homage to his alma mater, which he still supports through various fundraisers and donations. "I do stuff for every sport: golf, track, football, cheerleading." His charity acts, however, don't stop there. This past winter, amid the Browns' playoff push, Szabo befriended a man named Tom Seipel, who he'd never met before. Szabo learned about Seipel's story, a fellow Browns super-fan who was battling kidney cancer. Szabo worked with a small team, which involved Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and Mayfield's wife, Emily, helping to fulfill Seipel's last wish: See the Browns play in-person one final time. And he did: That contest occurred on Jan. 3 in the regular season finale against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. After a nail-biting 24-22 Cleveland victory, the Browns clinched a playoff birth for the first time since 2002. Seipel's story went viral, giving him one final happy moment in life. Seipel, 39, died in February. "One of the reasons I started the business on my own was that it gave me an avenue to help people and support the local sports teams," Szabo said. "Sports are important in life, and that with the fundraising aspects really drive me."