‘I survived Latrina!’ T-shirts raise funds for flood victims

Aug. 21--Amid the sorrow of the flood's horrific aftermath, some people are choosing to laugh -- and raise money for storm victims as they do it.

Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit is selling T-shirts that say "I survived Latrina! August 11, 2014" for $20 each.

The tees feature a picture of a rusty toilet on the front and a list of affected cities' names on the back -- Berkley, Center Line, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Southfield and Warren.

"Latrina" is a portmanteau of "latrine" and "Katrina," the name of the devastating weather pattern that hit New Orleans in 2005.

The brainchild of Huntington Woods resident Lesley Zwick, the T-shirts are available at https://www.booster.com/2014detroitfloodrelief.

The 37-year-old blogger had heard her friend use the term "Latrina" and when Zwick's husband, Michael, wrote about it on Facebook, the humored responses prompted her to turn the clever turn of phrase into a sartorial statement that would help people in need of a chuckle and financial assistance. She chose JFS as the beneficiary of all the proceeds.

"It's to help people, who are really in need, who have no insurance, low-income people, who can't make it through the devastation of the storm," said Zwick, who had 6 inches of water in her basement and no insurance rider.

The goal is to sell 500 T-shirts by Sept. 2.

JFS is working to coordinate access to emergency resources, such as information from the Red Cross, United Way and municipalities; organize volunteers to help clean up; and out together financial assistance options, according to the organization's chief development officer Debra Marcus.

"I thought it was adorable. She just wanted to help," she said of Zwick's T-shirt idea. "People are reaching out, trying to help."

The not-for-profit has received no complaints about the "Latrina" quip so soon after the storm, according to Marcus.

Mike Bernacchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy, called the T-shirt "edgy," but warned that such humor so soon must be handled carefully.

"Laughing for dollars is a good idea. ... Maybe the goal is awareness and if it's not too much over the top, they've succeeded," he said. "We don't want to deal with negativity. We're applauded for being a country of optimists. If we can turn a bad situation into a positive one, we'll do it."

Zwick agreed: "I've heard some people think it's really funny. It's a very sensitive topic, especially for those still digging out. We're still digging out."

Contact Zlati Meyer: 313-223-4439 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ZlatiMeyer

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