On Thursday, December 2, Brandon “DJ Bonics” Glova was rushed to a Pittsburgh hospital after experiencing extreme pain and discomfort in his shoulders and chest. Glova had returned home from a 60 city tour as the DJ for emerging hip hop MC Wiz Khalifa just two weeks prior, and despite being only 30 years old, he was having a heart attack. “I had never experienced such a combination of pain and fear. They called it a heart attack; I call it a harsh reminder of how sweet life is,” Bonics recalled.
Since recovering from this life-threatening episode, Glova has created the Bonics Heart Beats Foundation, which will promote heart health and a healthy lifestyle specifically to adults under the age of 40. To build some momentum for the Bonics Heart Beats Foundation and further the cause, Glova has enlisted vitaminTHICK, a street lifestyle fashion company out of Boston, to collaborate on a special edition t-shirt design. The concept for the shirt, entitled “Kid@Heart,” is inspired by the importance of remaining youthful in both thoughts and actions, advice by which Glova now lives.
“When we were younger, we would run around and play as if we were invincible,” said Glova. “Too often as adults our health becomes an excuse to not be active or live a healthy lifestyle, which is exactly what we are hoping to change. With the vitaminTHICK brand being dedicated to the spirit of childhood, and the company having ties to Pittsburgh as both of the owners are Carnegie Mellon grads, I felt that this partnership would be perfectly aligned.”
The shirt design features a proud kid clenching a lunchbox by his waist. His silhouette, which is filled with an image of the universe, represents the endless possibilities and dreams associated with youth. The character’s oversized glasses are a playful reference to Glova’s signature style.
Andrew Shedd, vitaminTHICK’s Creative Director, further elaborated on the project, “Fans and culture junkies alike often perceive talent like Bonics in a limited capacity in comparison to his true depth of character. Bonics' experience was a very human one, and the "Kid@Heart" concept captures that human element with a degree of warmth and sensitivity that really resonated with us. Responding proactively as he did with the intent to deliver a message that has such a genuine earnestness and positivity speaks to that depth of character in a way scarcely touted in mainstream media."
The Bonics and vitaminTHICK "Kid@Heart" collaboration t-shirt will retail for $26 and goes on sale this Valentine’s Day at 12pm eastern. It can be purchased online at TIMEBOMBSHOP, and in stores at Timebomb and Shop412 in Pittsburgh, and Bodega in Boston. The proceeds will be donated in their entirety to the Bonics Heart Beats Foundation, and more specifically to supporting community events this spring, which will promote heart heath awareness and an active lifestyle.
For more information, please visit Dj Bonics’ website at www.djbonics.com
and the official vitaminTHICK website at www.vitaminthick.com
Photos courtesy of Jordan Beckham, www.jordanbeckham.com
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