As a new sub-committee within the Student Alumni Council, the Impact Project will be a year-long annual project that focuses fundraising for different areas of campus each year. This year, they are focusing on sustainability initiatives to help St. Thomas become carbon-neutral by 2035.

Starting this year, students will be able to participate in the Impact Project by purchasing items, where the proceeds will support a cause on campus.

The project will work to promote awareness of areas in the community that need support, Impact Project Student Director Gino Marchio said.

“We believe in the power of generosity and coming together,” senior Marchio said.

Ariene Willkom, assistant director of Annual Giving, said the Impact Project was developed around the differences people can make at St. Thomas by highlighting areas of focus each year.

“The ideal would be that we come up with something that the entire community is excited about and we can show that when we all come together we can make an impact,” she said.

Since the Impact Project launched on Sept. 6, 2018, they have sold over 30 percent of their initial order and raised almost $1,000 toward projects such as the Pollinator Path, Bike Ambassadors and other sustainability initiatives, Willkom said in an email.

This year, the Impact Project partnered with Great Northern Lakes and will be selling hats for $20. The Impact Project committee bought the hats from Great Lakes at-cost from the manufacturer for $11.50. The other $8.50 goes directly to the Office of Sustainability.

Great Northern Lakes co-founder David Burke is a 2013 St. Thomas alumnus, and he was excited to be involved in the project, according to Marchio.

Marchio said that a lot of thought was put into the design of the hat.

“It’s very universal; anyone can wear it,” Marchio said. “A hat is very visible and you can see the branding.”

The design is the same as a classic Great Lakes Northern hat, with the company’s “life is better at the lake” slogan. However, the loon logo on the hat will be Tommie purple, rather than the usual blue.

This year, students can participate in the Impact Project by purchasing items and the proceeds will support a cause on campus. The Impact Project hat has the classic Great Lakes Northern Outfitters design with a St. Thomas purple loon.

The Impact Project will replace the senior class gift.

The gift was not very successful because it was promoted mainly to seniors and didn’t bring “awareness or fostering community engagement for all- students, faculty, and staff,” Willkom wrote in an email.

Rachel Torralba can be reached at torr3544@stthomas.edu.