Local Businesses Launch “Lena Strong” Shirt Fundraiser After Tornado

The community of Lena, Illinois is still reeling from an EF-2 tornado that struck on Friday, April 17, and they need our help.

Help for Lena, Illinois

When a tornado hits close to home, it just feels different, and right now the community of Lena, Illinois is constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

Living in Pecatonica, Lena isn’t just another small town on the map.

It's home to friends, former classmates, sports rivals, and familiar faces who are going through hell right now.

For those of us in Pecatonica, the proximity of the tornado activity was unsettling and heartbreaking,  but for our friends in Lena, it was utter destruction and devastation.

Homes were torn apart, trees uprooted, roads were blocked, power lines came down, and the cleanup process is just beginning.

I am incredibly grateful there were no injuries or fatalities, but the damage left behind is significant and life-changing for many families, and they need our help.

Lena Strong T-Shirt Fundraiser

I know first hand there’s one thing small towns do best: they show up for each other.

Since Friday afternoon, many area communities have traveled to Lena to help with clean up, and now three local businesses are partnering to help in a really big way.

Sweet Stitches Market, Hometown Trophies-Gifts and Engraving, and 7Stitches have teamed up to create a Lena Strong t-shirt and will be donating 100% of the proceeds directly to Lena relief efforts.

This isn’t just about buying a shirt. It’s about helping families rebuild, supporting local recovery efforts, and reminding Lena that they are not alone in this.

In moments like this, you really see the heart of our communities shine. From Rockford and Pecatonica to Lena and beyond, people are coming together in the best way possible.

Let's show Lena no one hurts alone, and when it’s time to rebuild, we do that together too.