Back in Ames, 70 Years Later - By Mike, RAYGUN Founder.

We're opening our 9th store today in Ames, Iowa. As we spread across the Midwest, we occasionally get grilled on our allegiances -- Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, KU, Missouri, Illinois?!

We have management from all those states. My mom went to Michigan. Our Director of Operations went to Kansas (and grew up in Lawrence, ick), our Director of Creative went to Nebraska. 

Professionally: we support any university that buys t-shirts. 

But for me, personally: I wouldn't even EXIST if it weren't for Ames! 

Above is a photo of my maternal grandparents at Iowa State's VEISHEA back in 1954 (looks wholesome, and I don't think either of them lit a dumpster on fire in Campus Town, but I guess I can't be CERTAIN).

Gene Siddall and Mary Joe Grogan came to ISU from Laurens, Iowa and Chariton, Iowa. They met and married shortly after graduation. 

I spent my summers living with them and heard stories about their time at ISU. My grandma in Tri-Delt, and my grandpa in a fraternity I can't remember because it was later thrown off campus? 

We open physical retail stores because we're not the best business people (should have gone into tech or pharmaceuticals!). 

We also open physical stores because of the connection to the community. 

I grew up in Des Moines, so our store's connection here is direct -- I can almost see the hospital I was born in from my desk, and my wife works there!

My mom spent part of her childhood in Cedar Rapids. The whole family started in Ames in the 1950s. 

Now here we are. Back in Ames. 70 years later. 

Our store wouldn't be here without communities that connect people. And I, personally, wouldn't be here without communities that connect people! 

I feel the debt that I owe to these communities. RAYGUN works to try and pay down this debt, to contribute to the places that raised us and hold us up. 

Not to sound like a wacko, but in this era of "I-built-it-by-myself-and-what's-in-it-for-me?!" it can be easy to lose site of how much we've been given, or how much we owe to how many for what we have. 

Our new store in Ames isn't just a store to me, it's another connection in a long, winding link to a community. 

Long story short: when I listen to the CyHawk game, I listen on the Cyclone Radio Network. THERE, I ADMITTED IT!