BUFFALO, N.Y. — Drive or take a stroll down Main Street in Newfane, New York these days and you'll notice a little extra spirit around town. Everywhere you go, there are flags, signs, T-shirts, and even the occasional chant.
It's all for Brian Irr. Before the karate athlete was a U.S. Olympian, he was a Newfane Panther, and all over his hometown, business owners and neighbors won't let you forget it.
"There's signs around town, people have been [using] the hashtag, Brian in Tokyo," Jill Keys told 2 On Your Side. "So I think because you're from a small town, even though you graduated in 2006, you still get so much support."
Keys is the president of the Newfane Alumni Association. The group is trying to make that hashtag, #NAABrianInTokyo, go viral before Irr's Olympic debut on August 7th.
"It's about 6,100 miles from here to Tokyo, and we're like, why don't we try to that get many posts? Let's show Brian so when he's in Tokyo and needs a little boost of encouragement he can go and look at that hashtag, and see that from Newfane New York, from Western New York, he's got a little support from here," Keys said. "Hopefully gives him that little boost of confidence that we're all here rooting for him."
Brian's aunts, Chris and Diane Irr, are part of the effort, and couldn't be prouder.
"It's been thrilling, and he is thrilled that the town has done this for him," Diane told 2 On Your Side.
"He came home a couple weeks ago, and we had a big family picnic," Chris said. "He's just glowing. He's got a smile that doesn't stop."
The Irrs say that on top of his karate accomplishments, Brian also has a masters degree in education and sports medicine from Canisius College. They say he loves children and being a role model for kids in his hometown community, and beyond.
"Every four years, millions of kids are going to watch the Olympics, and they have that dream that they could be part of it," Diane said. "Brian has succeeded. He's met his dream. He's already won."
You can track the Brian Irr Challenge by following the Newfane Alumni Association on Facebook.