Iowa Entrepreneur Builds A Business to Help Support the Freedom to Marry

July 9, 2009

A year ago, Ron Choate lived in San Diego and simultaneously witnessed the meltdown of the economy and the devastating passage of Proposition 8. Two months later, with no job prospects in sight – and not realizing what was to come in Iowa this year – he returned to his home in Iowa to help care for his ailing mother.

His struggle and the Supreme Court affirmation of marriage equality in February inspired him to start a T-Shirt business. SOS Cares currently produces 4 shirts. Each design is based on the acronym S.O.S. and each concerns a different struggle in our nation today: the economy, civil rights for gays and lesbians, the earth and the war. One of those (Sick of Separation) is all about marriage equality – an issue near and dear to Ron’s heart.

Ron offers, “My hope is of course for the company to be a success, but also to raise awareness of these issues and help them on a national level. We are lucky in Iowa where marriage equality is now the law. To me this should be a national right.”

All four designs are available on the SOS web site http://www.soscares.com/. They wholesale to businesses or local fundraising events. 20% of their proceeds are donated to national charities supporting the four causes. Check them out and contribute to your personal fashion while contributing to our cause.

As Ron says: “One shirt at a time we can make a difference.” [Link]