SMU Cardinal Corner raises $800 for SMU groups, Polish orphanage
WINONA, Minn. — The Cardinal Corner, under the management of the Spring 2011 Saint Mary’s University entrepreneurship class, earned more than $800 in profit during the Spring 2011 semester. The Cardinal Corner is a non-profit retail store located in the lower level of the SMU Toner Student Center.
Sixty percent of the total profits were earned through the sale of products from SMU clubs, teams, departments, or organizations that placed their items for sale in the store. The remaining 40 percent will be donated to Dom Dziecka, a Polish orphanage for children, the class’s charity of choice for the semester.
Dom Dziecka (house of children) is a Polish Orphanage for children between the ages of 3-18 located in Chotomow, Poland. Chotomow is a small town one hour north of Warsaw with a population less than 5,000. Dom Dziecka aims to ensure home care for children who are deprived of family care on their own. The facility is based on Christian values and ran by the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.
The Spring 2011 students honored the tradition of helping one of their own by choosing the Dom Dziecka orphanage. A fellow classmate, Ania McNamara, was adopted, along with her three sisters, from the orphanage. She has continued to help the orphanage as an SMU student by raising money each year for Christmas presents to be sent to the children. The money raised by the Cardinal Corner will be used to help buy blankets and school supplies.
The Cardinal Corner officially opened in fall 2010; however, the goal of giving entrepreneurship students a hands-on experience in running a business started with the establishment of the Movie Nest in 2003. The demand for on-campus DVD rental diminished by 2008, prompting the SMU Business Department to investigate building an actual store on campus. During the 2009-2010 academic year, entrepreneurship professor Jana Craft changed the focus of the project from profit-driven to non-profit, highlighting the importance of social entrepreneurship.
Each semester the students choose a charity that is of special significance to a classmate. Past beneficiaries include:
• Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance - Fall 2010
• Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin - Spring 2010
• Winona Area Humane Society - Fall 2009
If you would like a 2011 Cardinal Pride T-shirt or a limited edition Father Fabian T-shirt, contact Craft, at (507) 457-1491 or jcraft@smumn.edu. Become a fan and receive the latest updates at www.facebook.com/cardinalcorner. If you would like to support the Dom Dziecka orphanage, or would like more information, contact McNamara at AIMCNA07@smumn.edu.
