Donning Newport history

NEWPORT BEACH — It took 100 years of history — and two dedicated women — to create Newport Elementary School’s most popular fundraiser in recent memory.

This spring, with the city’s centennial a few months away, Principal Amy Nagy and administrative assistant Debbie Kandel began floating the idea of designing a commemorative shirt to raise funds for the school’s foundation. Their concept: Take the city’s most beloved landmarks and condense them onto a few square feet of rayon cotton, with buttons.

Now, as the dust settles from Newport Beach’s centennial party, Newport Elementary’s custom-made shirts are showing up all over town. The Balboa Bay Club bought a batch of them and is selling them — constantly — in its gift shop. Mayor Don Webb and a number of city officials purchased their own. Even Trader Joe’s, located in Costa Mesa, has the shirts for sale.

“We’ve been saying all along that we don’t want to be in the retail business,” said Kandel, who lives in Newport Coast. “But now we’re in the retail business, and it’s fun.”

During the centennial celebration on Sunday, Newport Elementary faculty members set up booths at each of the city’s piers and in front of the school. By the end of the day, all three locations had nearly sold out. Now, with the first batch almost exhausted, administrators are setting their sights on a lucrative holiday season.

The button-up short-sleeved shirt, which was designed from dozens of photographs and postcards, features illustrations of the Regency Lido Theatre, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, the Balboa Fun Zone and other landmarks around town. Some of the images come from vintage photos — including a sign advertising building lots for $250 each.

“It’s got a great collection of all the places that have been significant in Newport Beach’s history, so it’s a very good collector’s item,” said Webb, who bought shirts for his wife and brother.

All proceeds from the shirt, which is available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes, go to the Newport Elementary School Foundation. In the past, the parent-run foundation has funded a literacy coach, a technology teacher and even a new technology lab.

Nagy said she expected sales from the shirt to top $10,000 — especially after people approached her asking to turn the design into bedsheets, backpacks and even Duffy sails.