They’ve seen plenty of success over the years, raising thousands of dollars for charity each time around and picking up plenty of business sense in the process.
All that learning is still happening in 2020. But the whole project and everything around it? That’s different altogether.
The class recently launched Lonesome Road Co., a clothing company selling a line of bunny hugs, crewneck sweaters and t-shirts. COVID-19 restrictions have affected nearly every aspect of the project, with a shorter selling period on top of sales limited to Vanier students, teachers, family and friends.
But given their mission statement -- “A promotion of adventure and exploration through the comfort of warm local clothing. Travel the lonesome road around you and seek the hidden worlds around you. In a time of COVID, it feels like a very lonesome road with isolation and disconnection. However, the lonesome road is a gateway to discovery” -- it’s all part of moving a unique direction and finding new paths in spite of obstacles.
““We’ve been doing pretty well with it all, things have been coming together,” said Jewellyn McDonald, one of the project leaders for the 28-person class alongside Mitchell Parr and Brayden McLean. “We wanted something that could get out there quickly and people would use our product. Everyone wants a bunny hug and a hoodies, so we thought the easiest way to do it in the time frame we have was to make it through clothing, especially with the cold weather coming up.”
Vanier teacher Christa Lapointe teaches the class, using the business venture to pass on a wide variety of knowledge. Normally, the whole project would be community-wide in scale, selling all over Moose Jaw and beyond. Not being able to do that is different, but has changed little in the larger scope of things.
“Obviously, this year we can’t go outside of the classroom, but we’re still learning entrepreneurial behaviour and she’s teaching us what it means to start a business and everything that comes into play with it,” McDonald said. “It can be easy to put a logo on a sweatshirt, but everything that comes with it as well is quite a process. So she really does a great job teaching us how to react in certain situations and all that kind of stuff.”All proceeds from sales will go to the Moose Jaw and District Food Bank, and the class has already received community support -- The Shop is partnering as their manufacturer, the McGrath family donated $600 in honour of former Vanier teacher Joseph McGrath and Boston Pizza Main and Thatcher is also lending a hand.
“So we’re really happy to have their support, everything really helps,” McDonald said.
For more information on the project, e-mail lonesomeroadco@gmail.com.
