09 Jun Rangers Pitcher Jake Diekman Releases New Camo T-Shirt to Raise Awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis
Diekman partners with Athletes Brand on a special camouflage t-shirt as he completes the last of three intestinal surgeries to treat his ulcerative colitis
SCOTTSDALE, AZ. – In recognition of his final surgery to treat his ulcerative colitis on Friday, Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jake Diekman has partnered with Athletes Brand to release a new limited-edition camouflage “Gut It Out” t-shirt to benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. His final surgery will reverse the ostomy and connect his j-pouch. This is the last of three surgeries since January, which have forced him to miss the first half of the baseball season.
The shirt is co-designed by Diekman and features his signature “Gut It Out” mantra – a phrase that he has tattooed on the inside of his wrist. Since the first shirt in 2015, the IBD community has warmly embraced the motto. The shirt can be purchased from Athletes Brand beginning today, Thursday, June 8, and will only be available until Thursday, June 22 via AthletesBrand.com. The tri-blend “Gut It Out” shirt will be available in both a Men’s and Women’s options.
Diekman serves as an inspiration to patients living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – known collectively as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The new t-shirt campaign will be an opportunity to continue to raise critical funds and awareness on behalf of the Foundation as he seeks to get back on the mound. Diekman’s previous shirt campaigns have generated over $18,000 for the Foundation, which has gone toward raising IBD awareness, providing patient education and support, and expanding research efforts to find cures for IBD. The Foundation honored him in November 2016 with the President’s Leadership Award for his efforts to raise awareness of these debilitating digestive diseases.
“My partnership with the Foundation and Athletes Brand started with the ‘Gut It Out’ shirt in 2015. My initial goal was to bring awareness to these diseases by sharing my experience in hopes of inspiring others to not let IBD limit what they can accomplish,” said Jake Diekman. “Now, two years later, we’ve been able to achieve that goal and are looking to establish new ways to connect, educate and inspire a community of IBD patients and caregivers for years to come.”
Jake and his fiancée Amanda, Miss Nebraska USA 2014, are currently exploring opportunities to bring the “Gut It Out” community together to develop a network where people can talk about all aspects of living with IBD. They recently created an Instagram page @gutitout, which serves as an outlet to connect people through personal experiences and raise awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis.
“You look at Jake and how he attacks hitters when he’s on the mound, and then you look at him and how he approaches his fight with UC, you see a lot of similarities between the two,” said Kyle Mauch, CEO and Founder of Athletes Brand. “He’s a fighter and he’ll keep gutting it out – it’s the only way he knows. I think that his fight will help keep others doing the same as they take on their own battles in life. It’s bigger than just his health battle.”
Athletes Brand hopes to put the Foundation’s work in front of 20 million during the two-week awareness campaign. For more information about Diekman’s campaign, visit AthletesBrand.com. In addition to purchasing a shirt, fans and supporters can show their support for Jake and his recovery by using the hashtag #GutItOut on social media.
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About Jake Diekman
Entering his sixth season in the majors, Jake Diekman has become a reliable arm for the Texas Rangers. In 2014, Jake became just the third reliever in Philadelphia Phillies’ history to strike out 100 batters in a season. He is from Wymore, Nebraska and was selected by the Phillies in the 2007 MLB Draft. He is active on Twitter (@JakeDiekman), Instagram (@JakeDiekman41) and Facebook (@OfficialJakeDiekman).
About Athletes Brand
Athletes Brand is an athlete-run fashion brand that crafts clothing for athletes’ everyday needs away from their sport. Its mission is to help athletes use their power of influence to make a difference in the world through sports, fashion, art, and philanthropy. Visit AthletesBrand.com and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat: @AthletesBrand.
About the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is a recognized 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID # 13-6193105). It is the largest non-profit, voluntary, health organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundation’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research; providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public; and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872, or email info@ccfa.org, or follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Contact: Brad Butcher
(253) 209-5488
brad@athletesbrand.com