Eclipse of Hope

Mount Carmel, IL – Eclipse day felt like just another day in many communities, and the financial fallout will be felt by small business owners for quite some time. But one business is turning the loss into an opportunity to do good in the community.

Joesephella is a husband/wife team. They are makers and musicians. In 2017, they sold out of eclipse t-shirts and ornaments in Carbondale. 

“It was the most successful event we ever had,” Ella Boleynn recalls. “We actually came up with the slogan for our 2024 shirts as we were stuck in traffic on our way home that day.” 

This year, they decided to skip the excessive crowds of Carbondale since Mount Carmel, Illinois would have twice as long in totality. The couple saw that the media attention in 2024 was even greater than in 2017 and made enough eclipse t-shirts and ornaments so they definitely wouldn’t run out. They braced for the projected tens of thousands coming to town. 

“We were actually concerned we wouldn’t have enough,” Adam Joeseph said. 

The couple lives in Michigan, and they were only back in Mount Carmel for the eclipse because they are playing a benefit for Katelyn Brown on April 13th. 

Katelyn Brown is a young mother of 5 and loving wife who is fighting a very invasive stage 3 breast cancer. After devastating news that her insurance wouldn’t be accepted at MD Anderson, the family had just about lost hope. But then, they found out that Chicago-based City of Hope may have some experimental treatment options available. City of Hope seems optimistic about what they can offer, and the Brown family is eager to work with leading medical and cancer research professionals. But even the cost of travel can be prohibitive. 

“When we had so much leftover after the eclipse, I knew we had to find a way to put it all to good use, and I immediately thought of the Browns,” Adam Joeseph continued. 

Joesephella is offering all profits on the remaining shirts and ornaments to the Brown family to support Katelyn’s fight for life and her ability to enjoy it. They are also designing a special lily ornament (Katelyn’s favorite flower) to offer for sale at the benefit alongside the eclipse ornaments. T-shirts are $20 each or 2 for $30, and ornaments are $5 each or 3 for $10. Orders for all but the lily ornaments can be placed at https://eclipsecrossroadsofamerica.com

The benefit on April 13th includes a poker run, car show, dinner by Beer Bones BBQ, live music by Joesephella, and an auction. It is being held at the Eagles Club in Mount Carmel, IL. For more details, see the flyer below. All proceeds from the benefit will help Katelyn and her family with financial, medical, and travel expenses. Donations can also be made directly to PayPal @KatelynsFightClub.