To purchase a Good People of Gainesville T-shirt click the photo.
Meet Louis Hokayem. He is currently behind the effort to help raise funds for the local COVID-19 relief effort in Gainesville by selling a Good People of Gainesville T-shirts.
“The T-shirt project is built from the desire to do something uplifting for the city of Gainesville. The idea to utilize a T-shirt actually came from Nicole Ricketts, who works for Main Street Gainesville. I reached out talking to her about the Good People of Gainesville theme and basically we started to collaborate and figure out ways to benefit the community,” Louis said. “The first group that came to mind is the North Georgia Community Foundation, they’re a trusted group that I worked with in the past and helped me with a couple local projects, like the Deshaun Watson banner, so I had a relationship built up with them and a successful campaign. They’re exceptional group that handles funds the right way.
“I made phone call to them and… they take the money that are generated from this T-shirts and then allocates it to local non-profits that are serving our front lines for critical needs caused by COVID-19 like foods, shelter and health care.”
The Good People of Gainesville website is https://www.goodpeopleofgvl.com/covid19 .
Question: Tell me a little bit about your family.
Answer: “My parents are George and Martha Hokayem and I have two older sisters and a younger brother. All raised in Gainesville.”
Q: What inspired you to led you to your current career?
A: “I own a branding and design company, I am a designer and illustrator myself. I’ve always had a passion for business, I’ve always had a passion for design and art and Branding was like a perfect blend of that two for me so I’ve been doing branding work and helping companies out since I was transmitting college or even beyond that so it’s been over 10 years of experimenting and working in that field so that’s what led me to my current career.”
Q: What inspired you about Good People of Gainesville?
A: “Five years ago when I painted the mural downtown, I was thinking about the theme and I went back to a conversation I had with my grandmother, who was a survivor of the tornado back in 1936. We’ve talked about her experience and it really open my eyes to that event in significance that add on to the Gainesville community.”
To read about the Good People of Gainesville mural downtown and watch the video click HERE.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “The people here, it is just a supportive community and the people lived here help one another out.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurants in our community? And what do you like to get there?
A: “Longstreet Cafe. I like to order chicken tenders, green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve meet in Hall County?
A: “I have to say my grandmother, Beatrice Hokayem. She exemplified what it is to be a selfless individual, she just really believed in helping out people who are in need.”
Q: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
A: “It’s hard because there’s so many. But I would say though it sounds generic but spending time with my family like going on a walk around in Gainesville.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “I’d like to go to New Zealand, I have friends there that lives in Canterbury, they’re kind and they always speak to me about the lifestyle there.”
Q: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
A: “Comparison is the thief of joy and I think life becomes really rewarding and sweet when you place that sense of gratitude for what you have and the things that you’re doing.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I’ve always wanted to go hang gliding preferably in a scenic location maybe around the Andes Mountains.”
Q: Who is favorite band or musicians?
A: “I have a very wide range of preference in music. I like the band called Dispatch.”0
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “Still continuing with my business and helping people grow their business.”
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “Let’s say if I’m not working, I will be spending time in the mountains…I have begun restoring a river property.”
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: :Family, Community and Support.”
