Teen brothers start clothing line after father’s death

OCOEE, Fla. (WKMG) There’s no easy way to handle losing a loved one, especially when you’re not even a teenager.

But two Orange County boys are honoring their father one stitch at a time.

Semaj Washington, 10, and 12-year-old Syhion Washington created S2T2 Sports Apparel, known as “Strength to the Second Power.” The athletic clothing line features sleeves and shirts, with plans for shorts and socks in the near future.

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They’re already shipping across the county, but there’s another driving force behind each stitch, each sleeve and each shirt.

“We wanted to make our own money and help my mom pay bills,” Syhion said.

Their father, Surrey Washington, died in a car accident in 2013, as the boys wrapped up their first day of baseball tryouts.

“That was a traumatic thing for me, but they were always very motivational to each other,” mother Alundra Gibbs said. “It’s been an emotional roller coaster to see them doing this. Then knowing why they started doing this, It’s been up and down for me.”

“I feel like he’ll be proud of us,” Semaj said.

These boys have traded in their tears for new threads, as a way for their father’s spirit to live on.

“We’re aiming to be bigger than Nike,” he said.

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