Tiger tracks: CFHS students and staff run thrift store

Seniors Jeff Porter and Tyler Cooper along with sophomore Amanda Bunkofske work to sort clothing for the first opening of the thrift store ‘Tiger Tracks’ to kickoff in April. Submitted Photo.

Students in Kris Brimm and Bridget Bakula’s careers classes have taken an initiative to start “Tiger Tracks,” what will soon become a school-based thrift store. The store will sell clothing and accessories donated by students and staff and is set to hold its first sale around the beginning of April. Although there are no definite details about exactly when and where it will be, the organizers hope to hold new sales once every quarter in the main lobby.

A group of students from the two classes came up with the idea to start the store because they feel there is a definite need at the high school to have an organized way for students to cheaply purchase clothing.

Senior Camy Erickson, one of the students involved in the brainstorming and organizing of Tiger Tracks, recounted her own experience where clothing that could be purchased cheaply was needed.

“I was in a situation where I didn’t have access to and had lost a lot of clothes because I was moving between my houses, and Mrs. Brimm brought in some of her daughters’ old clothing for me. We have a lot of students in needy situations like that,” Erickson said.

To get the store going, the students have formed a business plan and have held regular meetings to organize. They have elected officers and created spreadsheets for accounting and inventory and have been brainstorming and tuning logistical details.

“The meetings have been going pretty good,” said sophomore Amanda Bunkofske, who works as the secretary. “I really like working on it, and it helps me get ideas for running my own business.”

They will accept donations of clothing and accessories from now on in rooms 30 and 31. They will then wash, clean and sort the clothes. Students in Linda Shulte’s FCS class will also help out and mend small repairs and fix up the donated items. Any clothing that cannot be repaired will be used instead for fabric in a quilt to send to Haiti.

“I’ve been extremely impressed by the good ideas people have come up with,” Brimm said.

The store will most likely be in the gym, and clothing will be sold before and after school and possibly during lunch shifts. Because there is no overhead cost, prices will be kept very low.

“I think there is a definite need (for something such as this),” said school nurse Sue Gettman, who has worked in previous years with other clothes donation projects.

“We have students here that are really in dire financial states. Students here do an especially good job of hiding it, but I think there’s a lot of things behind the scenes that the vast majority of students don’t begin to realize.”

She also said she feels the store will provide for students not necessarily in need but who are simply looking to accentuate their wardrobes. Many agree that some of the best items of clothing can be found at thrift stores, and on the other end, many of students and staff have clothes just sitting in closets that could be donated.

Any student interested in helping run the store can can contact Brimm or Bakula to apply for a position. Workers will be able to earn points toward free clothing. Donations of clothing racks, laundry detergent and stain removal supplies are also needed in addition to clothing and can be dropped off in room 30 or 31.