Senior Vanessa Mark combined her passion for fashion with her altruism by holding a “thrift flip” on Tuesday, Dec. 14. All the proceeds went to charity.

Mark asked students to bring in old clothes that are too small or that they do not wear anymore, and to drop them off in a donation bin at school. She then organized and priced all of the donations and sold them during lunch and CT.

“​​I was thinking about how I could organize a community service project in which I could potentially donate money to an organization that would help against climate change,” Mark said. “I wasn’t sure about how to run a bake sale, or how that would work out, and I thought, what am I most familiar with? What am I most comfortable with? And that’s clothes and fashion.”

Mark had a particular interest in donating the profits to an organization that helps with climate change and provides aid to people recovering from natural disasters. As such, she has decided to donate the profits from the event to the American Red Cross, specifically towards tornado relief. 

In order to organize the event, Mark spoke with Dean of Students Roslyn Landy about her logistical needs. She secured a date to use the exhibition hall and set up a bin for collecting clothing donations outside Landy’s office. She also worked to publicize the event and take inventory of clothes as donations came in. Taking inventory involved both determining the number of items that Mark would be able to sell and categorizing the clothes that were donated. 

Not only has the project been an opportunity for Mark to make a positive impact on the world, but it has also benefited the students who contributed their unwanted clothes. Senior Adina Schwartz made an especially large donation. 

“I really just wanted to clear out my closet because I had a lot of clothes that didn’t fit me and that I didn’t like anymore, and it was the perfect excuse. I donated like three trash bags of clothes,” Schwartz said. “I think it’s a really fun way to get people involved in charity, and people can participate by buying stuff, and then everyone gets new clothes by the end of it.”

The donation process was so successful that Mark has enough inventory to hold a second event. She collected 11 large trash bags of clothes over the course of the donation period. The event was also successful, attracting many students, and raising a total of $276. Mark will also continue to collect money as students pay for items they placed on hold. 

“When people came in to look at the clothes and eventually buy some, it was really rewarding to see so many people enjoying themselves,” Mark said. “It was really exciting to see people so interested, and it was really nice because I knew it was all for a good cause.”