A couple of entrepreneurs in Chatham-Kent are proving that you're never too young to make a difference.
Towards the end of January, 13-year-old Bailey Rickman and Ashley Sanderson of Dawn-Euphemia Township started selling #teamkind shirts in recognition of Pink Shirt Day and to raise awareness about anti-bullying.
The pair were able to sell 300 shirts and raise a grand total of $3,500 for Chatham-Kent Children’s Services (CKCS).
CKCS will be using the money towards Mindful Moments, a relaxation and meditation program for adolescents, as well as towards mental health support for students who receive a bursary from the foundation, in case they need help while away at school.
According to CKCS Executive Director Teri Thomas-Vanos, Rickman and Sanderson were behind the idea to create a fund to increase targeted mental health support.
"The board gives youth in care bursaries to attend post-secondary education. The girls' focus was on mental health issues and we know oftentimes when students leave their community to attend school or that transition into post-secondary education, [it] can stir up worries and sometimes they need mental health supports," she explained. "So they thought, why don't we create a fund for those students."
The life-long best friends sold the shirts through the company they created in the summer of 2020- The Towel Co. Five dollars from every shirt sold went toward the local organization.
According to Rickman, the pair didn't have an initial goal in mind when launching the initiative.
"We said, 'maybe we'll sell 15 shirts,' then that became 300 shirts that we sold," she explained.
According to Sanderson, none of it would be possible without the immense support from across the community.
"We wouldn't have been able to raise this much money without everybody."
Thomas-Vanos called Rickman and Sanderson's efforts a story of hope for young people in the community.
"Especially during the pandemic, when everyone is getting exhausted and worn down and discouraged. This came right out of the blue. Not only for youth in the community, but I have to say, it was a total morale boost for our staff. They were so excited to hear this."
It will likely not be the last time Chatham-Kent hears of Rickman and Sanderson. The pair said they plan to continue to grow their platform and are already brainstorming what they can do next to raise money for local organizations.
