T-shirt fundraiser highlights Buffalo as NY’s home of pro football

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — 26 Shirts Founder Del Reid stopped by News 4 on Monday morning to talk about a fundraising shirt that’s available for the next couple of weeks.

It’s in support of a local man named Nathan LaBarbera, who spent two months in the hospital battling Guillain-Barré syndrome. According to LaBarbera’s GoFundMe page, he “woke up paralyzed from his waist down” this past May.

“Before that morning, there were no indications of anything being wrong or any underlying medical conditions that would allude to the reason for this sudden onset,” the GoFundMe page says.

Reid says LaBarbera is in the process of learning to move and breathe again, but there isn’t a clear timeline for his recovery.

Sales of 26 Shirts’ new “NYS Football Map” design will continue through November 13. It features a blue silhouette of New York on gray, with a red star over Buffalo. The star indicates “pro football,” whereas the remaining blue area is designated as “no pro football.”

It appears to be a play on Josh Allen’s famous quip from 2019, where he took a shot at the Giants and Jets, referring to the Bills as New York’s one team. The Jets and Giants share MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, despite having “New York” in their team names.

Eight dollars from every purchase of the “NYS Football Map” shirt will go toward LaBarbera. To get one, click or tap here.