Mukilteo woman’s college project spurs athletic line

A Mukilteo woman has combined her love of basketball and her Christian faith to create athletic apparel with a positive message.

Kelsey Patrick, a 2009 graduate of Kamiak High School, started Every Blessed Day as a class project during her senior year at Pepperdine University.

As an advertising major, she had to develop a product and create an advertising campaign for it. Her presentation received a positive response from her teachers and fellow classmates.

After graduating from college, Patrick played professional basketball in Romania. During her down time, she kept thinking about turning Every Blessed Day into an actual business. “I decided to try it,” she said. “I just felt ‘Why not?’”

During a trip home from Romania for the holidays, she designed some shirts and had them printed up. When the season ended, she was ready to return to Mukilteo and hit the ground running.

Her older brother, Chase, joined the company last June and the two are starting to focus on moisture-wicking active wear apparel, including a pair of basketball shorts.

Kelsey Patrick said she received offers to play professionally again, but she declined in order to focus on the business.

“It’s hard to say no, but I’m trying to get this going and going overseas is a big commitment,” she said. “I still dream about it sometimes.”

Every Blessed Day apparel is sold online at www.everyblessedday.com, as well as at street fairs, concerts and basketball tournaments around Puget Sound. Patrick said the name Every Blessed Day is a reflection of her Christian faith and her basketball experience.

“Stepping on the court is a blessing,” she said. “We try to take each day as a gift; don’t let it pass by without enjoying it and being thankful.”

Patrick is also offering two youth basketball camps at Academy Sports Center in Lynnwood in July. A session for third- through eighth-graders is $180 and will be taught July 6-9; a second session for eighth- through 12th-graders is $55 and will be taught July 15-16. Register online at www.academyvb.com; for more information, email kphoopstraining@gmail.com.