Wearing stylish vaccine pins is a quick and easy way to share with others that you have taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
Edie Grace Grice, a psychology major at Georgia Southern University, created the “V for Vaccinated” lapel pins as a way to help raise awareness and funds to support COVID vaccine efforts.
“Everyone wants life to get back to normal as quickly as possible, especially college students,” Grice said. “One of the fastest ways to accomplish this is for as many people as possible to get the COVID vaccine. As a psychology major, I see the effects COVID has not only physically but mentally. Wanting to do my part in making a difference, I created these ‘Victory over COVID’ vaccine pins.”
After developing the idea, Grice designed the pins and worked with Fred David who owns The Marketing Department, a local print and novelty item vendor.
“I really felt like this was a great idea because Mr. David was so excited about it,” she said. “He worked with me to develop a prototype and then we printed 100 vaccine pins and they sold out in two hours.”
Grice said she has received great feedback from people who purchased the lapel pins and they tell her all of their family and friends who have been vaccinated want them, too.
“We have ordered a large supply and are now releasing them more widely online and at select locations,” she said.
Grice offered a special thanks to A-Line Printing in Statesboro for printing the display cards that each pin is attached to. Her goal was to use as many local vendors as possible.
Also recognizing all of the local vaccine providers who have “done a remarkable job vaccinating our community” is a main goal, Grice said. Three of those are selling the vaccination pins: Forest Heights Pharmacy, McCook’s Pharmacy and Nightingale Services.
“By purchasing and wearing this vaccination lapel pin you are alerting people that you have been vaccinated, sharing your safe vaccination experience, doing your part to save lives and restore livelihoods and supporting vaccine education and clinics,” Grice said.
Grice said she is dedicating a percentage of the sales of the pins to help with the vaccination effort. The pins are now being sold throughout the Southeast, and in Texas and Wisconsin. She’s hoping to sell them in all 50 states.
Making art has been a lifelong passion of Grice’s, but during quarantine she used the creation of art as an escape. She said she spent her time in quarantine painting scenes of places she wished she could travel to.
Grice said she was inspired to take her creative passion seriously after the sudden death of a close friend and fellow Georgia Southern student, Kathryn Mullins. Mullins had a small business where she created and sold stickers. Days before her tragic death, Mullins shared a new sticker idea with Grice, which was a self portrait.
Grice said she felt led to finish the sticker Mullins designed and sell them in her honor. Grice donated the money raised by Mullins’ sticker project to her church in her memory.
The project was the beginning of “Edie travels” art. Her work has been featured in galleries throughout Georgia.
“It was a dream come true to have people believe in my art enough to ask me to make something special for them and to help great causes at the same time,” Grice said.
Story written by Kelsie Posey/Griceconnect.com.
Post time: Sep-18-2021