Green Bay Packer Hats keep a memory alive and remind packer fans that the journey truly is the reward.

Brian LaViolette's inspirational thoughts will live forever. His expressions of love and humble gratitude are reflected in the notes he often wrote, and sayings he collected, and shared with his parents, Doug & Renee and his sister Kim LaViolette all of De Pere, Wisconsin. After Brian's death, his family established a scholarship fund in Brian's name and, working with artists, developed a series of beautiful, inspirational posters featuring some of Brian's favorite sayings.

On January 6, 1996, Doug & Renee planned to attend the Packer-49ers playoff game in San Francisco. As they prepared to leave their home, Doug called his friend Gary Spielbauer, owner of United Sign Corp., and asked for help in creating a large banner that he could take to the game. The banner contained one of Brian's favorite sayings, along with a little encouragement for the Packers. It read "The Journey is the Reward...To the Super Bowl!" With 4:21 remaining in the game the LaViolettes, with a little help from their friends, displayed the banner. Television cameras were panning the stadium crowd and captured the message for all the world to see. The response was over-whelming, as people asked where they could find a Packer item that contained the saying. The idea was born to develop a hat honoring both the Packers and Brian's favorite saying.

There is a bit of irony in the development of the hat honoring the Green Bay Packers and Brian's favorite saying--Mike Holmgren debuted as the Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers on August 8, 1992--the very same day Brian was lost!

The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation is now offering high quality Sports Specialties caps embroidered with the Packer's NFL emblem plus the words "Green Bay Packers--The Journey Is The Reward." (The black, baseball style caps are embroidered in green, gold and white.)

The caps are available for a $20.00 donation to the scholarship fund.

Thanks to the above article which is on permanent display at the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame, interest in the "Journey Hat" was astounding. The first order received for a hat came from a father of a fifteen year old son, and seventeen-year-old daughter living in Midlothian, Virginia. Our second came from a life-long Packer fan and father living in Spokane, Washington. Both had visited the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame that same weekend. Brian's Journey continues coast to coast!