Colleges and Universities Support Military Veterans With Operation Hat Trick
ATLANTA, Ga., (Jan. 25, 2011) – The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), a division of IMG College, today announced the national launch of Operation Hat Trick (OHT), a co-branded headwear initiative designed to support the Veteran’s Administration General Post Fund and participating collegiate institutions, through donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of merchandise.
Operation Hat Trick was first developed by the University of New Hampshire to memorialize Nate Hardy and Mike Koch, two fallen U.S. Navy SEALs. The program was originally focused on providing collegiate caps to soldiers in VA Medical Centers who had suffered head injuries. The program’s name was inspired by the initial focus on head injuries and the program’s roots in a part of the country that follows ice hockey. OHT has since evolved into a national program with 26 colleges and universities across the nation participating in the effort to contribute to the VA General Post Fund.
“The primary objective for OHT is to build support and funds for our soldiers and veterans seeking medical treatment in VA medical centers,” said Dot Sheehan, the founder and director of OHT. “We are excited about the participation of so many institutions in the national launch of this program and believe that college fans at these participating institutions will support of our veterans by purchasing OHT co-branded caps.”
CLC serves as the licensing agent for the participating institutions and manages the OHT licensing program.
“We are honored to be involved in OHT and are motivated by the program’s emphasis on supporting American military veterans,” said Brian White, Vice President of Partner Services for CLC. “The willingness of universities to leverage their powerful brands to support our veterans is inspiring. This has been a labor of love for our entire company.”
The University of Cincinnati is one of dozens of collegiate institutions participating in the OHT program.
“Our institution has a long history of support and collaboration for those serving our country, from ROTC programs, research activities for advanced technologies in the defense industry, specialized training for trauma surgeons treating wounded soldiers, to faculty from our College of Medicine providing care at the local VA Hospital,” said Marty Ludwig, Licensing Director, University of Cincinnati. “We are very proud to support our veterans and their families for the sacrifices they make on behalf of our nation. OHT is a great way for Bearcats fans to show their support by providing additional funding for the VA’s General Post Fund and ultimately helping veterans.”
Officially licensed OHT caps, which are branded with the logos of participating schools, are produced by ’47 Brand, a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of premium quality headwear and apparel for more than 600 collegiate institutions and several professional leagues. The initial product offering will feature three styles including an adjustable camouflage cap, a school color cap, and a stretch fit style cap also in school colors.
OHT caps will arrive at campus bookstores and fan shops of the participating institutions throughout the next three months.
About The Collegiate Licensing Company
CLC is a division of global sports and entertainment company IMG. Founded in 1981, CLC is the oldest and largest collegiate licensing agency in the U.S. and currently represents nearly 200 colleges, universities, bowl games, athletic conferences, The Heisman Trophy and the NCAA. The mission of CLC is to be the guiding force in collegiate trademark licensing and one of the top sports licensing firms in the country. CLC is dedicated to being a center of excellence in providing licensing services of the highest quality to its member institutions, licensees, retailers and consumers. Headquartered in Atlanta (Ga.), CLC is a full-service licensing representative, which employs a staff of more than 80 licensing professionals who provide full-service capabilities in brand protection, brand management, and brand development. For more information on CLC, visit: www.clc.com or www.imgworld.com.
About ’47 Brand
’47 Brand is a privately held sports licensed product company founded by twin brothers Arthur and Henry D’angelo in 1947. Forty Seven Brand is proud partner of Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and over 600 collegiate programs. Forty Seven Brand employs 200 corporate and retail associates and is located in offices in Boston and Dedham, MA.