Margaret Skiff, founder of the Sunrise Clothing Co. online store, models one of her T-shirts. (Johanna Neeson photo)
Margaret Skiff, of Newcastle, began selling T-shirts during the first week of August to raise money for organizations that support young cancer patients and their families.
Sunrise Clothing Co. donates 34 percent of its profits to groups like Camp Sunshine, Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, and The Izzy Foundation.
The idea for Sunrise Clothing Co. came to Margaret Skiff during her family’s own cancer journey. Her younger sister, Alice Skiff, was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a type of cancerous brain tumor, in 2016.
The Skiff family received support from organizations, not only with medical treatment, but with bringing fun, happiness, and normalcy back into Alice’s life. She is now cancer-free.
“I think it’s important to show people that cancer isn’t just the diagnosis and isn’t just the hospital visits,” Margaret Skiff said.
Margaret and Alice Skiff model Sunrise Clothing Co. T-shirts. (Photo courtesy Margaret Skiff)
She said bringing joy to a patient during and after treatment can be one of the most important and overlooked parts of the childhood cancer journey. “It’s not just getting through it,” she said. “It’s about finding the joy again.”
Skiff hopes the T-shirts also work as a conversation starter around childhood cancer research, programs, and support.
A business major at Roanoke College, Skiff has always had an interest in fashion and entrepreneurship.
Skiff screen-prints the shirts by hand. She plans to reinvest the profit she doesn’t give away to grow the company and develop more ways to help people affected by childhood cancer.
“Finding just a small way to give back is important and can make all the difference,” said Skiff. To shop, go to sunriseclothingco.com.
