Angie Rodriguez: A Community Champion for Autism

Angie Rodriguez Recogized for Autism Support

In the News on ABC 7

See the Community Champions news segment here describing how, through a relationship with the Texas Work Commission, Angie employed James as a designer in her shop, where he did great, high-quality work that she could depend on. It was a “win-win,” all around, because James learned real-work work skills that aren’t taught in the classroom, Angie got a dependable employee, and they formed a beautiful new friendship.

Creativity Through Custom Apparel

Because he excelled during his time at Big Frog of East El Paso, James moved on to other jobs, but he still fondly talks about working at the local custom t-shirt shop.

“I want to create things that other people can enjoy,” he told KVIA. Designing custom apparel at Big Frog created that avenue for him.

About Angie

In addition to running her successful t-shirt shop, Angie seems to have boundless energy. She has an active family of one teenager who plays competitive volleyball, three twenty-something year-old children, and a busy husband. Angie has completed five Half Ironman triathlons and one full Ironman triathlon. For the record, an Ironman long-distance race consists of a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2-mile run (a marathon). In fact, it was a race that brought her to Big Frog ownership: she wanted to buy just one t-shirt for her first race in 2012 but could only do so after finding a Big Frog at the race location in Gilbert, Arizona.

Five years later, while searching for a franchise concept, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More appeared her radar. She knew it was meant to be and enthusiastically jumped into the Big Frog Pond with this brand that had offered her exactly what she needed years earlier.

Give Back is Key

In her “spare time,” Angie makes it a priority to not only give back to autism, but also to other causes and organizations, such as the BNI Networking Group in El Paso. She partners with Vista del Sol and Myrtle Cooper Elementary schools to recognize students who make honor roll; each child receives coloring pages so they can create their very own original t-shirt from their artwork. Her popular mascot, Finley the Frog, often makes special appearances for presentations and photo opportunities with the kids, as when Finley rewards the kids at Texas Kids Dental Care for taking care of their teeth and being cavity-free.

“I think the parents may enjoy Finley even more than the kiddos; they take so many pictures,” Angie quips. “It’s just great fun to celebrate the accomplishments of children, and I’m honored to give back to my community this way.”

Big Frog East El Paso Store Information

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More of East El Paso is a one-stop custom apparel shop that specializes in direct-to-garment printing. The store also offers a variety of other garment decoration techniques such as vinyl application, embroidery, screen printing, and ultra prints. They offer a wide variety of high-quality garments in sizes ranging from infant to 6XL, up to 15 minutes of free design help, 24-hour turnaround on in-stock garments, and no minimums or setup fees. Bulk orders and online store hosting for groups, associations, and t-shirt fundraising are also available. For more information, stop on by or contact us here!