Panthers unveil effort to help in Florence recovery: ‘We share more than a state line’

For Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, T-shirts have always been a way of supporting the charities most important to him and his team.

In the past, that has meant shirts supporting everything from congenital heart conditions (through tight end Greg Olsen’s foundation) to animal adoption. But in the wake of Hurricane Florence, which blew through the Carolinas weekend while the team was off playing in Atlanta, Rivera unveiled a new T-shirt Monday to support storm relief efforts.

The shirts are part of the Panthers’ partnership with Visit North Carolina and Discover South Carolina, and 100 percent of the proceeds from the shirts will go toward Florence relief efforts in both Carolinas.

“You guys know I do a big thing about the T-shirts, and our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the hurricane in both North and South Carolina,” Rivera said Monday.

“It’s because we do share more than the state line, and I think it’s important that everybody understands that we most certainly do care about our folks in the Carolinas.

“Our fan base, the people here in this community, we want to do whatever we can to help support them in this recovery effort.

“We want to do our part.”

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera wears a T-shirt benefiting Hurricane Florence relief at a Monday news conference in Charlotte.

Brendan Marks bmarks@charlotteobserver.com

The shirts, designed by local apparel company Recover Brands and produced in Spartanburg, feature a picture of the Carolinas and reads: “We share more than a state line.”

To find out more about the shirts and purchase your own, visit CAREolinas.com and use the hashtag #CAREolinas on social media.