Meet Erica Reiling

Introducing our next Faces of Why Not You, please meet Erica Reiling! Originally from Mercer Island, WA, Erica channeled her creativity to find a way to support the Seattle community during the COVID-19 crisis.

When the Seahawks released their official 2020 schedule, Erica was inspired to make green and blue tie-dye sweatshirts for herself and a few friends as a fun activity to do during the quarantine. It wasn’t long until others began noticing on social media and inquired about them. In response to the high demand, Erica decided to host a tie-dye sweatshirt fundraiser on her Instagram to benefit the Why Not You Foundation. “The response was overwhelming... literally!” noted Erica.

When asked what her goal was in fundraising and donating to the Why Not You Foundation, Erica responded, “I loved seeing the spirit, action, and leadership that the Why Not You Foundation was taking in the greater Seattle community to help people and families combat the COVID-19 crisis— I wanted to send help in the most immediate way and that was getting masks to the people and workers that needed them the most."

To Erica, ‘Why Not You’ is more than just a saying. It’s a mantra! “It can sometimes feel awkward or daunting getting involved with causes that are important to us, but we need to remember that even the smallest act can make an impact in someone’s life... Each of us has a spark inside of us, a great leader inside of us, and 'Why Not You' is a great reminder of that.”

Thank you so much, Erica, for choosing to spread love in the community through your tie-dye sweatshirts during a time when it was needed the most. We appreciate your support!

Fun fact: Erica’s bathtub is now a beautiful shade of Seattle blue!