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Proceeds from handcrafted Hootables help students with tuition costs

Nov. 30, 2015

Meet Pooch. He’s a Hootable. He was knitted by Barrie resident and entrepreneur Donna Douglas. Pooch and his friends have provided funds to help support tuition for three postsecondary students. Two of those students are from 51��Ƶ– one is taking the Personal Support Worker program, the other is pursuing Graphic Design.

“The project began a few years ago when I had limited mobility due to severe back pain,” says Donna. “Not one to lay around and a lifelong knitter, I picked up four short needles and began to play around with a circular pattern. Before me emerged a 12-inch owl, full of character – with claws, a beak, and orange and black eyes. I knit another. And another. And another.”

At the same time, Donna heard about a young woman working diligently through high school without any hope of being able to afford postsecondary. An idea began to emerge – if these owls nestled into a few public spaces, would people buy them? And could the money Donna raised help this student soar?

Fast forward to today, and Donna can hardly keep up with Hootables orders. Grandmas have commissioned the nocturnal birds for newborns. Clients have them lined up on shelves in their stores. And Hootables have flown into the arms of kids and those young at heart too.

Hootables are created thanks to generous donations of wool from community members and money out of Donna’s own pocket. They take about eight-and-a-half hours to make, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the students. Donna takes great pride in knowing that the first student Hootables helped is building on her Early Childhood Education college diploma and pursuing a teaching degree.

Each Hootable has a name and birthdate printed on canvas tags sewn to their bottoms – free of charge thanks to 51��Ƶgrad Teresa Vincent of UCA Branding. Tyler Thurston, also a 51��Ƶgrad, designed the Hootables logo.

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Hootables are available for purchase for $50 ($25 for babies) at ESS Direct and Suite Success, 411 Huronia Rd. in Barrie. In the new year, they will also be available at Camphill and L’Arche community store, 123 Dunlop St. E., Barrie. They can be customized and shipped anywhere in the world. .

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