Magic sell T-shirts urging others to vote, donate proceeds to FRRC

Roy Parry, Orlando Sentinel
·2 min read

Orlando Magic players stepped off their team bus and into the Disney bubble wearing T-shirts urging others to get off the bench and vote.

Fans immediately responded — and not just to their favorite team inching closer to resuming the NBA season.

They wanted to buy the shirts.

The Magic designed the shirts for the players as a team bonding activity to highlight their ongoing commitment to fighting social injustice following the death of George Floyd. Coach Steve Clifford suggested they channel their energy locally, specifically helping people vote during upcoming election.

It took a few weeks, but now fans can join the movement and purchase shirts via the team app or OrlandoMagic.OrderNext.com.

The shirt reads, “Get Off The Bench, Get Into The Game, VOTE.” The letter “o” in the word vote is replaced by the Magic logo.

Proceeds from the sales will go to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Desmond Meade, the organization’s executive director, addressed Magic players eager to get involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and combat racism. Meade’s fight to help former felons convicted of non-violent offenses in Florida get their voting rights restored resonated with the team.

After Florida voters passed Amendment 4 and approved the restoration of voting rights for former felons, Gov. Ron DeSantis stated they had to pay all outstanding fines before they could actually vote. Proceeds from the Magic shirt sales could ultimately pay some of those fines.

“We’re proud of our partnership and what we’re continuing to do with FRRC and Desmond Meade,” Clifford said when asked about raising revenue by selling the shirts. “It’s a great slogan. ... It’s great and we appreciate all the fan support.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Iliana Limón Romero at ilimon@orlandosentinel.com.

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