Stephanie Mandeville, Communications Director of NEA Rhode Island provided a special message about these items to explain why they are so special:

The phrases Knock it off and Shut it down were frequently uttered by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo at her daily press briefings in the thick of the Coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home order in March.

NEARI Communications Director Stephanie Mandeville saw an opportunity in Governor Raimondo's Italian mother-style scoldings, to bring Rhode Islanders together. She reached out to her favorite quirky shop, Frog & Toad Store, and her friend at the RI Foundation, which had just announced a Coronavirus Relief Fund.

Mandeville asked if Frog and Toad would be willing to design a T-shirt with the Knock It Off and Shut It Down slogans and donate proceeds to the RI Foundation fund.

Both the store and the Foundation agreed and in a mere 10 days, a shirt was designed, put up for pre-order, and $12,000 was raised for the fund.

Frog & Toad smartly parlayed the success by offering the logo to local businesses for free as long as they donated a portion of the proceeds to the Coronavirus Relief fund.

Since that time, the T-shirt concept birthed a branded IPA from a local brewer, barbecue sauce from a local maker, hand sanitizer from a local distillery. All Ocean State-based companies and crafters.

The concept has raised nearly $50,000 to help Rhode Islanders in need during this unprecedented time in our history.

And now you have a small piece of that history from here in Lil Rhody. Knock It Off has brought us smiles during a tough time, and we're passing a little bit of our joy onto you.

This package includes: 4 t shirts; 2 of each style (1 L & 1 XL in each style) and $75.00 worth of gift cards to Frog and Toad.