What is Just Once Viking Shop about?
My story...
I was born the same year (1961) that my favorite team (Minnesota Vikings) came into existence in the NFL. While coming of age in the early 1970's, I became a Vikings fan & have been experiencing the emotional highs & lows that come with the territory ever since. After retiring a few years ago, this Baby Boomer in Southern Idaho (roots in Southern California) made constructive use of his free time and creative talents involving a passion for the Vikings. Just Once Viking Shop - a store and mindset dedicated to Minnesota Vikings fans like me, was born. As a true fan of the purple, I continue to cling to the hope that the Vikings will one day get back to the Super Bowl and become victorious for the first time. It was out of this desire…wish…prayer... that the plea “Just once before I die" emerged as the theme of this shop.
That's Chuck Foreman and I sporting our cool mustaches from the mid 1990's in the photo. I'm the one on the right.
David
Sustainabilty
One of my goals was to operate a sustainable shop. My number one priority was to have the products printed by a print-on-demand company instead of printing them myself to minimize waste and offer more variety. It was very important for that company to have an eco-friendly printing process. I also wanted to utilize the most sustainable apparel brands and products like organic cotton. However, this proved extremely challenging as these options were more limited. I finally chose Tee Public & Printify to provide my products as I felt they met my top priorities and many of my other objectives.
Product Designs
I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with creative concepts for designs that express being a Minnesota Vikings fan in a manner that tries not to violate any NFL or team copyright laws. Unfortunately, I have minimal design skills so I rely on hiring graphic artists to bring my ideas to life in a way that can be printed on shirts and other products. I am a fan of retro or vintage art so many of my designs will feature this style to give them a little different look. I also have fond memories of the many talented teams of the 1960's and 1970's while growing up and try to come up with ways to illustrate that era in creative ways. Lastly, sometimes I will have a little fun at my team’s expense in my creations - primarily to help offset all my pain and suffering over the years. I find it excellent therapy.
REBUILDING MINNEAPOLIS
Supporting Historic Lake Street Businesses in Minneapolis
Many businesses across the Twin Cities were directly impacted by the civil uprising after George’s Floyd’s death. Over 250 Lake Street businesses experienced hundreds of millions of dollars in collective damage. While no property can measure up to the value of human life, the losses experienced by these businesses have had real human impacts. Just Once Viking Shop continues to believe in & support the Lake Street Council’s mission to help these community business owners and members rebuild & reopen. 10% of the profit from all sales thru December 2023 once again will go to the Lake Street Council non-profit to help in the business community rebuilding efforts. Click on the photo to learn more about Midori's Japanese cuisine restaurant & her efforts to get back to serving the community.