Food frenzy

Students at St. Ignatius High School learned a valuable business lesson on Wednesday – make sure you have enough product to satisfy your customers.

Especially when it’s hungry teenagers you’re trying to feed.

The school’s first charity lunch market was an overwhelming success, most food booths quickly selling out of everything from brownies and popcorn to nachos and pasta dishes in a matter of minutes. Proceeds from the sales were turned over to eight different local charities, including Habitat for Humanity, the George Jeffrey Children’s Centre and Toys for Tots.

Grade 11 student Michelle Carlson said each group chose their own charity and said they chose Toys for Tots because they just want other children to enjoy Christmas like everyone else.

“I think it’s a really great idea. Everyone really enjoys it. It’s a great change for the school. It’s a great time of year for all of us to be donating money,” the 16-year-old Carlson said.

“Everyone loves it. Everyone’s excited to get all the different kinds of foods.”

Teacher Cheri Arund helped organize the event, and started planning it as early as October, giving students time to do market research on what products would fly off the shelves the fastest.

It was a collaboration between the Grade 11 marketing class, the Grade 9 business class and the food class.

“We didn’t expect to have this much of a turnout. We sold out of pretty much everything except brownies. It’s been really good. We’ve learned from our mistakes, so next semester we’re going to do this again,” Arund said.

Giving back to others in Thunder Bay is the real lesson being taught, she added.

“It’s good to have kids connect with the community, connect with a charity and do something good for other people, not just for themselves,” she said.

“We are a Catholic school. We’re committed to compassion and trying to help out our fellow man. This fits in well with our curriculum and with the department as well.”

Her colleague, Grade 9 teacher Shannon Haavisto, said her students also learned valuable business lessons that may help them out later in life.

“They’re actually realizing now they’re having inventory issues for sure which happen in the real world, so it’s a wonderful experience for them.”