Digital-Tutors is used to helping people learn about computer software. The company employees are not as familiar with helping people through global relief efforts, but following the tsunami disaster, they were ready to do what they could.

A leader in interactive instructional training materials, Digital-Tutors decided to sell t-shirts on its web site with all proceeds benefiting Feed the Children.

By selling t-shirts, the company is raising money and awareness at the same time.

“Hopefully, it’s contagious so when someone sees someone wearing this shirt, it might spark the curiosity and maybe that person will help too,” says Sandip Patel, director of global business for Digital-Tutors, based out of Oklahoma City.

The orange t-shirt, available at www.digital-tutors.com for $9.99, features the word “relief” across the chest.

The proceeds from each shirt (about $5) will help Feed the Children ? also based out of Oklahoma City ? provide support through supplies and technical assistance to children in need in Southeast Asia.

Sales of the shirts began Thursday and $1,130 was raised in the first few hours.

“We were going to make a donation but we thought, why not make a t-shirt so people can actually wear a receipt as a thank you for helping and so people can spread the word by a t-shirt,” Patel says.

Digital-Tutors has several customers in areas affected by the tsunamis, he says. The company will spread the word of the shirts through press releases and newsletters, which reach its 34,000 registered users.

Digital-Tutors has been in business for two years, and is now in the position where it is able to help, Patel says; so it did.

“We’re at the point where we’re large enough and have the means to do something like this. A lot of people love to donate money and are anxious to donate money but I think it sparks that much more interest when they’re actually getting something in return,” he says.

Patel hopes other companies will adapt the “do what you can” mentality.

“Something like this hits and your heart goes out to the people who may have been there and the people who are left homeless. We wanted to do whatever we could to help.”






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