Royal Roads students help Pakistan with online store
Goldstream News Gazette
As flood water continues to drown Pakistan, Royal Roads University e-commerce students have developed a website to spur donations.
The site, www.floodofgoodwill.com, was developed as a project for their entrepreneurial expertise class.
It features an online store, which opened yesterday, selling discounted products and services, including gift certificates for restaurants, massage therapists and hair salons in Greater Victoria.
All items are sold for 20 per cent below regular retail price, but were given to the store for at least 50 per cent below regular price (or donated completely). The profit from sales goes to World Vision for emergency aid in Pakistan.
The group hopes to raise $5,000 in the first three weeks the store is open.
“Everybody benefits: the buyer gets a discount, the business gets new customers and we donate some much-needed aid,” said student Carrie Cameron who is co-ordinating donations in Greater Victoria.
Her classmates are spread across the country. The other three students who developed the site with her are from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. Each student solicited donations from their area.
“We were surprised how much businesses are willing to give when they hear what we’re fundraising for,” Cameron said.
Monsoon rains have been causing widespread flooding in Pakistan since July. Some 2,000 people have died and at least six million need life-saving humanitarian aid, according to the World Health Organization. More than 15 million people have been affected by the flood.
The Canadian government is matching donations made to registered charities doing relief work in Pakistan until Sept. 12.
The students will submit early donations before that deadline, and send the rest of the money to World Vision following their project due date of Sept. 21, at which time they’ll evaluate the success of the site and decide if they’ll continue operating it.
The students are still accepting donations from businesses interested in selling items in the store. For details e-mail info@floodofgoodwill.com.
