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City Selling Official St. Patrick's Day Parade T-Shirts

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and the city is gearing up with parade preparations in full swing.

However, there will be something new to the celebration this year.

There is no doubt that Pittsburghers take St. Patty's Day seriously.

Every year, thousands of people line the city streets for the annual parade.

This year, there will be the usual bands and floats, but also something new - the first-ever official Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade T-shirt.

"We can't say enough good things about, this is a start, this is a commemorative shirt, it's first one ever. We're hoping it will be a collector's item," Kevin Conboy said.

After years of requests from spectators, the parade committee decided to give T-shirts a try.

The shirts are being produced at All Pro Embroidery.

Employees went through thousands of old parade photos to come up with the design.

"It took several weeks, almost a month basically to pull those images together and to come up with the design," Matt Rohm said.

So far, the shirts are selling fast. They've been in stores for about a week-and-a-half now and already about 3,000 have been purchased.

"It's one thing to see it on the screen and kind of go through it, but once you see it come to life on a T-shirt. It really makes a thrill," Rohm said.

You can find the shirts in stores all over the city, but you can also pick one up in Market Square on the day of the parade – Saturday, March 16.

The proceeds will go back into the parade and also to the Irish Society for Education and Charity.

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