ShapeShifter Fish and Friends is a new sun-protective activewear company created to inspire friendships, support diversity and motivate you to get outside.
“ShapeShifter Fish and Friends was started in early October 2020, during a time when we felt the world needed more positivity, especially our youth, and a reminder that we can all look different, think different, whatever, yet still be friends,” said Co-Founder Maria Aller. “We wanted to create an all-inclusive community where it is encouraged to be yourself, to be different and embrace this idea that we are united by this diversity.”
ShapeShifter Fish and Friends is a branded community featuring Tampa Bay marine life. Each design is made up of different shapes, different colors and different sizes and printed on UPF50+ long-sleeve shirts to encourage you to go outside, where friendships are made and nurtured.
“Friendship is the foundation of a healthy childhood, successful partnerships and thriving communities,” Aller said. “We invite people to be part of our circle of friends, where everybody is welcome.”
ShapeShifter Fish and Friends recently decided to create and personally fund the kickoff of its community program, appropriately called Project FIN (Friends In Need), to provide sun-protective shirts for the homeless in Tampa Bay, who have an extremely high risk for skin cancer.
“It’s crazy, there are a ton of fishing shirt-style companies in Florida and I could not find a single one that is doing this, so there is definitely a need,” Aller said. “Our partner and printer, LogoHQ, generously donated their time to help print our first batch of shirts. On May 1, we were able to kick off Project FIN and give the first set of UPF50+ shirts to Tampa Homeless Outreach at a charity event held at Brandon Harley-Davidson. Also beginning May 1, a portion of proceeds of every ShapeShifter Fish and Friends shirt we sell will be donated to continue Project FIN. Very soon, we will also be setting up additional online donation opportunities for any of our friends, old or new, who also want to contribute to help us grow our reach and provide even more shirts all over Florida.”
To learn more about ShapeShifter Fish and Friends as well as Project FIN, you can visit their website at www.ssfishandfriends.com.
