A passion for raising money
Ollie Press, 10, who started selling Bar Down Dog clothing products as part of a class project, is now helping others with donations to KidSport P.E.I.
The assignment was for 10-yearold Ollie Press to find a passion project and earn enough money to pay back the $700 Andrews Hockey School course fee to his parents.
But Ollie decided to take the project one step further and help other children by donating $5 of every sale of products from his Bar Down Dog clothing line to KidSport P.E.I.
Ollie’s mother, Melanie, says Ollie is already halfway to the $700 goal. In addition, they’ve set a goal of $250 to donate to KidSport P.E.I.
“The idea is to give back because there are so many kids that can’t afford to play (hockey),” said Melanie.
The clothing items for sale with the Bar Down Dog logo include adult and youth sizes of hoodies in various colours, as well as T-shirts and hats.
Ollie also made $340 in a hotdog fundraiser in Cornwall, which went to covering the cost of the clothing and the logo.
Ollie’s parents, Melanie and Paul, who are originally from England, said they weren’t used to seeing that level of support from the community.
“The people that were coming out, they were buying one hotdog for $2 and giving him $20,” said Melanie.
“Or people weren’t even buying hotdogs, they were just giving him money,” added Paul.
The young entrepreneur also collects plastic bottles and cans to raise money.
Ollie’s older sister Emily, 11, also helped out by modelling a hoodie with her brother in one Bar Down
Dog Facebook post.
The passion project is part of the Andrews Sports Institute (ASI) 20-week course that teaches leadership skills and personal development.
Ollie, a minor hockey defenceman who is also a Grade 5 student at Eliot River School in Cornwall, said he likes seeing his friends buy the products.
The Bar Down Dog logo was designed (with Ollie’s input) by a local graphic artist. The logo involves a dog sitting on a hockey puck in front of a net. Under the business name Bar Down Dog is the phrase ‘The puck stops here!’ – a reference to P.E.I. being on the East Coast.
Ollie said the dog in the logo doesn’t resemble the family dog, Kye, but it is still important because it represents “the loyalty of the teammates and the guidance of a dog”.
Ollie said if the business goes well, he wants to keep it going after the course wraps up.
His dad agrees.
“Oh definitely,” said Paul.