Gaudreau memorial shirt orders to remain unfulfilled
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Columbus clothing manufacturer at the center of a memorial donation drive for the Gaudreau family is offering customers an update, and it may not be one they want to hear.
Tom Summers, the owner of Columbus Apparel Company, suggested customers seeking a refund reach out to their credit card companies or financial institutions as he no longer has access to his company or its website.
On Wednesday, Summers said he had been evicted from his shop and no longer has access to his equipment, preventing him from fulfilling outstanding orders.
In September, after Blue Jacket Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver in New Jersey, Summers started selling memorial clothing, with the proceeds going to the Gaudreau family. However, Summers said he was unprepared for the overwhelming number of orders, which eventually bankrupted the company, as announced in December.
As recently as this month, Summers was committed to fulfilling the outstanding orders; however, he said on Wednesday that due to the eviction, he would no longer be able to. Watch a previous report on the shirt's delay in the video player above.
Summers also said that Shopify – which he was using to track orders and refunds – canceled his access, no longer allowing him to offer those refunds.
'What began as a small fundraiser with the CBJ Artillery to support the Gaudreau Family grew to become much bigger than we ever could have anticipated,' Summers said in a statement less than two weeks ago. 'We had no idea when we made the commitment to contribute, the volume of orders that would come in and all of the challenges that would come with it.'
Members of the Gaudreau family received 100% of the proceeds. A total of $124,346 was raised, Summers said. He added that any refunds would not affect the donation to the family.
Summers said any customers who wish to reach out to the company can do so through its Facebook page or email.
The Gaudreau brothers were biking along the side of the road near Salem, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, 2024, when they were hit and killed by Sean Higgins. Higgins is charged with the brothers' deaths; most recently, Higgins' attorneys moved for dismissal.
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