21 Pineapples CEO Nate Simon, of Beverly, shows off the T-shirt design he created to benefit this year’s Chicago Polar Plunge.
Once they decided to make Hawaiian shirts, Nate’s sister came up with the idea of 21 Pineapples, with “21″ representing the extra chromosome that is a hallmark of Down syndrome and an image of a pineapple, which is the symbol of hospitality, Holly said.“When I reached out to Special Olympics Chicago, I noticed that the polar bear was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I asked how we could work together,” Holly said. “I thought this needs to be part of his life because he’s got a Hawaiian shirt on.
Nate, who lives in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, has excelled in sports during his time with Special Olympics, winning more than 100 medals. The 19-year-old attends Southside Occupational High School and has competed through the Special Olympics program at Mount Greenwood Park since he was 8. Nate picked the colors for the shirts to be sold and described his idea for the design to a graphic artist in Orlando, Florida. His mom said sales are going “incredibly great.”
Another area company founded last year has joined in the Polar Plunge fundraising effort with some special apparel.