LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentuckians are pitching in to help victims of the EF4 tornado that hit Pulaski and Laurel counties. A store in Lexington created a special T-shirt with all proceeds going directly to victims.

The Kentucky Shop in Lexington prints all its shirts locally with a team of six people, including founder Rick Paynter. Each shirt is printed at its warehouse next to its retail store.

“We have the capability of printing around 1,500 per hour," Paynter said.

Paynter started printing shirts in 2013 to raise money for a local charity with high demand from customers.

“We put them online one Friday morning, and they sold out within like an hour," he said. "My wife and I said, 'OK, there's something to this.'" 

Nearly a decade later, the company with a shop in the heart of Lexington continues its charitable donation. In-person and online, the store is selling shirts to support victims of the May 16 tornado Somerset and London.

“One-hundred percent of the proceeds are going back to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief fund, and we’ve raised over $125,000 since Saturday," Paynter said.

It’s part of the store’s "Kentucky Strong" initiative, which began in 2017. They’ve made shirts for victims of hurricanes, flooding and everything in between.

“We’re no stranger to jumping in where we need to and moving quickly," Paynter said.

Paynter has designed more than 1,000 different T-shirts, but his favorites have been those with a greater purpose.

“It is always the 'Kentucky Strong' shirts just because of the meaning that comes in behind them and what they meant to our business and the community of Kentucky at large," Paynter said.

The "Kentucky Strong for London and Somerset" T-shirt will be available through the end of May. It can be purchased online or at the Lexington store.