By Kelly Kasulis, News Correspondent
The Joint Committee on Transportation met Tuesday afternoon to discuss a bill proposing “Boston Strong” charity license plates.
The bill, which would allot all proceeds to The One Fund, a charity benefiting victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, calls for the production of license plates adorned with the famous slogan that spawned from the April 15 attack on Boylston Street.
The specialty plates would be $50, with $38 of the overall fee going directly to The One Fund, while the remaining $12 would cover the cost of license plate production.
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo from Springfield sponsored the bill in hopes that it would not only raise money, but also raise spirits.
“It does twofold — it provides some charity fund, but also it provides an individual a way to publicly show support,” Puppolo said. “If you have a license plate driving around, you’re showing support in a strong, meaningful way that doesn’t cost a lot.”
The Special Plate Program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this month, with 17 previous plates contributing to various causes such as the Jimmy Fund and the Massachusetts Animal Coalition.
Democratic State Rep. Brian Ashe from Longmeadow, one of more than 60 legislators who have signed the bill, called the license plate a “no-brainer.”
“It’s short, it’s simple, it’s to the point. I think everyone can identify with it,” Ashe said. “Right after the attacks, people came together. It shows who we are as a country and it’s the perfect thing for any community: you can knock us down, but we can get back up.”
The One Fund was created by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Governor Deval Patrick in April to assist victims and families of the Boston Bombings. It has since raised over $60 million, but donations are still needed for a wide range of steep recovery expenses.
“As always, we will come together to help those most in need,” Menino wrote on the fund’s website, OneFundBoston.org.
According to Sara Lavoie, press secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, special plates have raised more than $73 million dollars for various causes over the years.
“I talked to a number of different organizations and they all said it was a very beneficial thing, and I know lots of other organizations are pursuing their own plates,” Puppolo said.
“Boston Strong” became a city mantra when it was placed on t-shirts designed and sold by two Emerson College students, Nick Reynolds and Chris Dobens. The tees, printed by Ink to the People, have now accrued over $905,000 for The One Fund, according to Reynolds and Dobens.
“It’s crazy watching something you created catch on to lots of people, and a license plate just feels so much more permanent,” Reynolds said. “The fact that bills are potentially being passed just solidifies that Boston Strong is a fixture in this city– it’s not just for a little while.”
Dobens also agrees that Boston Strong has since taken a life of its own.
“[It] shows just how powerful the brand is on its own and that this has become more than just a design on a t-shirt,” Reynolds said.
In the state of Massachusetts, there are two ways that special plates are placed into production. An organization can amass a minimum of 1,500 plate orders to get their plate made, or the state legislature can pass a bill, which requires no minimum. In the past, a state bill was imposed for Massachusetts license plates benefiting victims and families of the 9/11 attacks.
Puppolo says that a final decision on the Boston Strong plates will hopefully come by the end of the year.
“Once we get the plate, we are going to pursue it as hard as we can to raise money for this great cause and help people out,” Puppolo said.
