“Adopt a wardrobe, save a life!”
Thrifty Threads hosted a thrift event on April 28, offering students the opportunity to purchase secondhand clothing with all proceeds benefiting the Naperville Humane Society.
Thrifty Threads took place on J-Lawn where students could thrift and pet dogs. It started at 10 a.m. and lasted until 4 p.m. During the last hour, there was a 50% discount for a final sale. Students set up many tables outside, each featuring a unique selection of clothing for all shapes and sizes. Along with the thrifting, the dogs from the Humane Society came by to greet students. It helped students recognize where their money would go if they bought something.
Creating this event
The students of an integrated marketing communication class taught by Dr. Drake created Thrifty Threads. The project started at the beginning of the semester. Over the course of the semester, the students organized and marketed the event on campus using the knowledge learned from the class.
The goals of the semester-long project were to give the students an opportunity to practice their marketing skills, de-stress before finals and raise money for the Naperville Humane Society. An added benefit was the chance for participants to refresh their wardrobes, as is often advised during spring. Everyone in the class got involved and contributed their own part.
Eliana Acanfora, ‘24, was one of the marketing students that helped set up this event alongside her classmates.
“Knowing that our class event was driven to raise money for an awesome charity made it all the more meaningful and special to work through this process,” said Acanfora.
The event raised $1,060 for the Humane Society. This successful outcome came as an unexpected, but welcome, surprise for many. It acted as a great way to shop sustainably, while helping a good cause, and letting students have fun before finals. It is still unsure if this same event will continue in the future, but students can take the class and find out for themselves.
