Community News
Fight the Fight: BenGil’s first 50/50 clothing line
Pete Visintin, founder of Fight the Fight, snaps a photo with his wife, Liz, before speaking at the Jim Duncan benefit.
If you have been locked in your closet for the last couple months, you may not have heard, but a new 50/50 clothing line has been founded right here in Gillespie. Local resident and manager of Ageless Fitness in Gillespie decided it was time to help out people in need.
In life, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and we can’t control it. What we can control is how we react to these tough situations and adversity. We can lie down and quit, or we can look up, get up, and never give up.
Fight the Fight is a clothing line in which 50% of all profits are donated to individuals who incur large, unexpected medical expenses. It was founded in August 2012 by Pete Visintin Jr. of Gillespie after his father, Pete Sr., was diagnosed with brain cancer in July 2012.
Take a look at some of the answers Pete provided to us after a recent interview.
Why Fight the Fight?
Pete Jr. wanted to create something that would allow him to help out people financially when they need it the most. After seeing it first hand with his dad, he understands how fast medical bills can rack up to amounts that are simply unmanageable for some people. “No one ever thinks about the gas, food, co-pays and other expenses that it takes to get a patient to and from treatments,” Pete added.
After talking to Pete, that’s why he started the company. Since the launch, the website has grown into a huge platform for those who have overcome a serious medical condition to share their Survival Stories. “The outpouring of prayers and positive support that people receive after their Survival Stories are published is amazing and has grown quickly to a level that I would have never thought possible in such a short time span,” Pete said about the stories.
So the purpose of Fight the Fight has shifted from providing only financial support to those in need to not only continuing to provide that financial support, but also to give people a platform to share their stories of survival to give others who may be in a similar situation hope.
4 t-shirts are shown under the Fight the Fight banner.
What is the deal here?
“My goal is for Fight the Fight to become a nationally known brand,” Pete started. According to him, there are a lot of people that need a lot of help and support. He wanted to help as many as he can. Most of the sales will come from the internet, so Pete said the business has an opportunity to grow the business beyond the reach of our local geographic markets.
Making the company a for-profit 50/50 company gives Fight the Fight 2 major advantages over becoming a traditional non-profit. The first is speed. When people get diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer they need money and support fast. “Being a 50/50 allows us to donate to them right away without having to jump through any hoops,” Pete explained.
Second, by making the business a for-profit 50/50 we have the opportunity for it to grow to a size that will eventually require additional employees. Since the business is, and forever will be, headquartered in Gillespie, Pete hopes it could create jobs which would in turn stimulate the local economy as well.
“We are also very excited to announce that we are launching the ecommerce part of our brand. Starting today, customers will be able to purchase our clothing online via our website,” Pete added with a grin. You can shop by visiting their online store!
What is in the works?
Over the past month and a half, Pete has had the opportunity to speak at 3 local benefits and tell his story as well as make a donation from FTF. In the next few months, he hopes to have the opportunity to speak more. He also expects the online sales to help build our business large enough to have a constant stream of cash flow to donate to people who need it.
“Another one of our goals is to double our website traffic to create a larger platform for others’ to share their Survival Stories and receive support,” Pete explained. Beyond that, Pete’s vision is to grow the company into something like TOMS Shoes, which is another for-profit charity.
Trunk of your car, are you serious?
Pete started Fight the Fight by putting up a free website and selling t-shirts out of the trunk of his car. He hopes his story will be one that gives people hope and helps people realize that anybody can build a business from the ground up. “Most entrepreneurs started with nothing but an idea and were willing to put in the effort to make that idea a reality,” Pete added. “I feel like this is what I am doing right now!”
Fight the Fight would love to connect with more people. To become more involved, email Fight the Fight at helpfightthefight@gmail.com with the words “subscribe me” in the subject line.
In the meantime, a Survivor Story is published each Thursday of someone who has overcome a serious medical condition. The stories get read by, and inspire, thousands of people from around the world to get through tough situations in their own lives. Pete added that you don’t have to be going through a tough time to be inspired by the stories. “In my opinion, they will help anyone live their life better and appreciate what a gift everyday is,” Pete closed.
To connect with Fight the Fight on social media, “like” their Facebook page for immediate updates, news, and other information. If you are tweetster, “follow” FTF on Twitter by clicking here!
“We want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped to get us off the ground,” Pete concluded. “ We believe Fight the Fight has a big, bright future ahead, and we are thankful that so many of you have chosen to be part of it.”
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Wins $2,000 Prize and Video She Created will Air on 160 TV Stations Nationwide
CHICAGO – Emily Bergen, 16, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, has won the annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest. Antonio Knott, 15, of Merrillville High School in Merrillville IN, placed second in the voting, and Noelani Elizalde, 17, also from Merrillville High School, was third.
Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show, teens from Illinois and surrounding states were invited to submit ideas for a 30-second PSA about sharing the road with other passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians.
Three finalists were selected and each worked with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements. The public was then able to vote for their favorite online. More than 1,400 online votes were cast.
The winner received $2,000 and will be featured on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up got $1,000 and the second runner-up won $500. All three finalists’ teachers received $100 gift cards.
Bergen’s winning PSA shows a young driver starting her car and pressing a “share the road” button. As she drives, an AI voice warns her of a bicyclist, a pedestrian and children in a school zone. The voice then reminds her, “Cars don’t come with devices like me, which is why you need to know how to share the road.”
“The carnage on our roads can be reduced if drivers remain aware of others who share the road,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving. “We think the creative ideas about sharing the road from our Drive Safe Chicago winner and runners-up convey that message effectively.”
“Although today’s new cars are safer than ever, with technological advances that are proven to help avoid crashes,” said Chicago Auto Show Chairwoman Kelly Webb Roberts, “drivers must still be aware of others they are sharing the road with, whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrians.”
The National Road Safety Foundation says driver error accounts for 94 percent of all fatal crashes, with speeding and driver distraction among the leading factors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40,990 people died on U.S. roads and highways in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of injuries and an estimated annual cost of more than $340 billion.
View Bergen’s winning video below:
Bergen’s video is also featured center on the National Road Safety Foundation’s website with the runners-up videos to the right and to the left: https://m.shortstack.page/NLxMqT
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Students earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher out of a possible 4.0 are named to the President’s List. Those students earning a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.74 are recognized each semester on the Dean’s List.
Further requirements are listed in the college’s online catalog at http://catalog.lc.edu. All questions should be directed to the Enrollment Center at (618) 468-2222. Below is an excerpt containing students residing in Macoupin County.
President’s List
BENLD – Ryleigh L. Phillips; Zander E. Rieffer; Emily R. Schoen; Tristen B. Wargo;
BRIGHTON – Brandon M. Adams; Ike D. Austin; Lainie L. Behrends; Reagan Beilsmith; Ian C. Brantley; Tina M. Brass; Lane Cox; Madison P. Fenstermaker; Hunter D. Gillis; Hailey Gula; Alexis R. Harrop; Gavin Humm; Thomas D. Kunz; Nicholas O. McGee; Audrey A. Perkins; Ava J. Pulley; Alyssa J. Schuchman; Addison Strohbeck; Sydney A. Valdes; Abby Van Doren; Piper L. Voorhees; Madelyn E. Zarges;
BUNKER HILL – Alex Betts; Grant J. Burch; Kayleigh K. Butler; Abigayle L. Collins; Denise Deias; Braden T. Fulton; Dillon M. Guess; Maya R. Henfling; Hannah J. Herrmann; Madalynn Hilyard; Madelyn Landreth; William Manar; Kaylee L. Richert; Andrew Sanner; Abby N. Spraggs; Noah A. Thyer;
CARLINVILLE – Jack E. Beard; Matthew J. Eldred; Jack Goby; Stephanie K. Harding; Gabriel R. Henson; Alexsis A. Kalaher; Weston E. Kuykendall; Lillian McCurley; Emerald Ondrey; Joanna M. Roemer; Jessica N. Strubbe; Karleina J. Tipps; Samuel L. Wilson;
GILLESPIE – Lauren E. Bertagnolli; Ean L. Davis; Lanie G. Doty; Kennedy G. Helmkamp;
MEDORA – Aubrey M. Reno; Anneliese M. Shatley; Haleigh Sinclair;
SHIPMAN – Alyssa L. Beck; Gracie B. Darr; Addison A. Jeffers; Tyson Kahl; Josiah A. Schuette; Bailee A. Sorgea;
SOUTH ROXANA – Lyndsey M. Johansen; Caden O. Lara; Savanah M. Stogsdill;
STAUNTON – Julie A. Aloisi; Samantha R. Anderson; Zane P. Anderson; Shane Baker; Lilly M. Bandy; Grace Bekeske; Gianna Bianco; Carson G. Buffington; Kiersten L. Carlson; Karla J. Castillo; Izabella Claussen; Lillian Dothager; Olivia M. Favre; Eli J. Henke; Alexis A. Hester; Samantha D. Hoffman; Harold I. Irvin, III; Dylan Jarden; Korryn O. Keehner; Nicholas L. Raphael; Alexis P. Schaaf; Brady Seelbach; Carli L. Skinner; Cole Sternickle; Tyler J. Thompson; Lilly Trettenero; Lillyan S. Troeckler;
Dean’s List
BENLD – Ridge A. Braundmeier; Kaitlynn E. Conner; Elizabeth M. King; Alyssa S. McCollum; Marria D. Middleton; Alyssa F. Schuette;
BRIGHTON – Garrett R. Beuttel; Troy J. Brooks; Emily Y. Cambron; Jacob G. Carpenter; Lucy Childress; Olivia Cody; Logan T. Crane; Tristyn N. Ditterline; Kaylin G. Gerard; Cooper J. Hagen; Ashlyn K. Hall; Evan Hanold; Samuel J. Harshbarger; Amelia R. Hines-Pattan; Ella J. Kadell; Daylin M. King; Kayla A. Lemarr; Tucker Mayhew; Elizabeth L. Milford; Stacey M. Mynatt; Blythe E. Roloff; Jordan R. Short; Shiann Vinson; Grace A. Wylde;
BUNKER HILL – Cole T. Burch; Hanna N. Heeren; Madelynne K. Heflin; Taylor Miklavic; Katelyn J. Miller; Abigail G. Scott;
CARLINVILLE – Boedy E. Baker; Emily A. Barbre; Zachary Chapman; Ella R. Clevenger; Alana N. Dixon; Alison J. Dixon; Nathan Dyer; Addison Eldred; Saralynn I. Joiner; Henry S. Kalaher; William G. Meyer; Chloe A. Payne; Amy L. Pocklington; Jack Rives; Lanna P. Vanderpoel; Ella C. Wise; Braley M. Wiser;
GILLESPIE – Reese E. Bussmann; Regan E. Bussmann; Addie M. Hayes; Karter Mix; Adrianne B. Niemeyer; Grace J. Vandoren; Shannon L. Wright;
MOUNT OLIVE – Libbie M. Nowell;
PIASA – Anna C. Fink;
SHIPMAN – Kaden G. Cottingham; Rocky Darr; Kathryn M. Mueller; Sayuri Owada; Rocky J. Rose;
STAUNTON – Rylee K. Baugh; David S. Dann; Belle M. Darte; Jacob A. Dillon; Vivienne Dothager; Sean T. Fleming; Kennedy L. Legendre; Zander MacHota; Savannah M. Missey; Nicholas Monahan; Nicole M. Narup; Kelley Perrine; Christopher S. Pritchett; Alivia Royer; Katie N. Schalk; Lakesi Settles; Priya E. Siegfried; Justin A. Smith; Kylie A. Tomso; Whitney Weller;
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Gillespie Community will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, February 17 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.
To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 710-1336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. You may also call ImpactLife to schedule at 800-747-5401. Appointments are requested.
Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747 5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before 12/23/24 are eligible to give at this drive.
