Mission
Our mission is simple: live and serve others with passion, purpose and positivity. Creating authentic, customized clothing - infused with the HEART of giving back.
Purpose
WKP Apparel was founded in memory of our heart warrior, Weston Kayne Pangborn - “WKP”. Weston was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a severe congenital heart defect where half of the heart under-develops. Born on July 7th 2021, Weston fearlessly entered the world - loudly and bravely -as only the strongest warriors do. His story is miraculous, beautiful and devastating. Weston underwent 4 open heart surgeries, 6+ cardiac catheterization procedures, 2 rounds of ECMO (life support) and numerous in-room procedures during his 6 month battle. Yet, despite the hill he continually climbed, he demonstrated the strength and resilience that is only embedded within the toughest warriors. In his 6 months with us, he taught us more than we could have ever hoped - all with a smile and quite a bit of sass. WKP Apparel is a testament to the lessons Weston continues to teach us - follow your dreams, change the world and enjoy what you do.
Spread his story - Share his smile - Say his name - Make an impact
Having been previously involved in youth athletics and apparel merchandising, we figured the best way to honor Weston is to combine the worlds we love. We developed WKP Apparel to create extraordinary clothes and to continue to spread Weston’s story and awareness of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).
We believe in giving back. We believe in creating fun, unique, customized gear. We believe in the power of youth athletics. Most importantly, we believe combining them all is the perfect storm - showcasing our passion, his purpose and continued positivity.
Meet our Warrior
Weston’s story is beautiful and his impact will continue to reach far beyond our imagination. To fully understand our “why”, we want to provide you a glimpse of our warrior. He is perfect. His smile could melt hearts and his personality is like none other. While not all stories have happy endings, we have learned it is the journey and what you learn from it that counts - and his journey was miraculous. His tenacity and fight motivated us to do something in his honor. Combining our passions, his purpose and our continued positivity - WKP Apparel came to life.
Meet Weston Kayne Pangborn “WKP” - Our “Poot”
When the sun sets in the West, he will be there. To watch over all of us and to remind us to always:
“Stay Positive for Poot”
To explore more of Weston’s incredible story, check out his CaringBridge website: