George Rogers Clark High School made history last weekend when both its boys' and girls' basketball teams won the Sweet 16 state championships. Now, a local alumnus is helping the school celebrate and raise money for championshi p rings.Rick Payner, owner of the Kentucky Shop warehouse in Lexington, is designing and printing special t-shirts to commemorate the rare double victory. He plans to donate 25 percent of the retail sales directly to the GRC athletics department."When the boys came through I fell back in my seat, lost my mind. It's, once in 100 years, such a rare occurrence. Definitely something to be celebrated," Payner said.Payner previously designed a commemorative shirt when the boys' team won the state title in 2022, raising $16,000 for the athletics department. He hopes to expand this fundraising model to other schools in the future."Kind of a sound fundraising source for them and there's not a lot of hustle for the school itself," Payner said."We do all the hustle here, we do all the printing and fulfillment and we ship it. Just open the package and you've got a brand-new championship shirt," Payner said.As a GRC alumnus, Payner remembers riding the bus home with the football team after they captured the 1991 state title. He wants the current student-athletes to have the same fond memories."Its fun to be a part of making history because I know how impactful it was for me in 1991. Its a small town, so this is a big deal. First time in 98 years thats happened," Payner said.Payner noted he heard the school is trying to raise funds for championship rings."I dont know that specifically, but it would be cool to see 40 kids with championship rings," Payner said.The merchandise is made to order as it is purchased online. Payner said the process takes about three to five days before shipping to the buyer. ...read more read less