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News Release

December 18, 2006

Student Calendar Raises Money for Kids' Charity

A group of University of Guelph students has completed a class project that will give a big boost to a children's charity. The Student Life 2007 calendar currently circulating around campus and throughout the community has already raised $5,000 for Variety - The Children's Charity, a group dedicated to promoting inclusion and integration across Ontario.

The calendar, featuring students from across the University, was the brainchild of 14 students enrolled in the organizational behaviour class taught by professor Jamie Gruman of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. For a class assignment, they were asked to come up with an idea for a money-raising event or product, and after tossing around suggestions such as an international food night, casino and fashion show, they decided on both a product - the calendar - and an event to launch it.

“The response was good," said student Hernan Ortegon-Rico of the $9 calendars. “Students were more than happy to buy them."

But a week before the calendar went to print, the students still had no sponsor. Group member Alex Comrie eventually secured Scotiabank late in the process, and the bank agreed to match the price of every calendar sold and cover production costs, provided the students pre-sold a set number of calendars.

“The stress was rising," says Ortegon-Rico. “We had four days to sell 200 calendars. We went crazy trying to sell them around the University." But they achieved their goal.

He says the 14 students relied on personal and professional contacts for both the production of the calendar and the sales. The calendar photos were taken by his roommate, art history major Seth Gerry.

Gruman gave students in his course the option of doing their class project for profit or for charity, and Ortegon-Rico's group opted for the latter. “The kids' charity was the biggest point here. Everyone brought their own abilities to it,” he said.

About 300 calendars have been sold to date, with sales continuing until the end of January. The group will then present a cheque to the charity. The calendars can be purchased at the downtown Scotiabank or by contacting Ortegon-Rico at hortegon@uoguelph.ca .