From shoulder pads to skinny jeans, fashion has gone through many changes, and The Clothesline in Cochrane has seen it all over the last 20 years.
Organized by the Cochrane Activettes, the store is celebrating its vigintennial this Oct. 25, with an open house featuring coffee, cake and information about The Clothesline and what it aims to accomplish.
The Clothesline provides the community with gently-used clothing at a reduced cost and uses the money generated to fund several community projects and services. Jan Tracy is the committee chair for The Clothesline and has been with the Activettes for over 10 years and said the store is a major fundraiser in the community.
“We receive donations from the community and we turn around and sell those for a very reasonable cost so that people that need clothing can afford to buy it,” she said. “We then use whatever profits we have out of that store to support these programs.”
Some of the programs Tracy mentioned were the Bethany Care Centre, Big Hill Lodge, Troy Thompson Emergency Medical Fund, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cochrane, Kamp Kiwanis, Family and Community Support Services, Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, Cochrane and Area Challenger Recreation Club, Seniors on the Bow and many more.
Tracy also pointed out that it also acts as a major recycling project, keeping those clothing items out of the landfills.
The store sells clothing for men, women, children and babies.
They also have some sportswear such as skates, soccer shoes, tap shoes, yoga clothes, bike shorts, golf clothes and swim suites.
She said that although they do have some paid employees, the store could not run without the help of their many community volunteers. Tracy also added that they are always looking for more who want to help and said that it is a great opportunity for people who are new to the community.
Tracy also pointed out that they are always looking for clothing donations and that people can drop them off during their hours of operation from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
To keep the celebration going after Christmas, Tracy said there would also be a fashion show with people modeling clothing items from The Clothesline and some items would be available for purchase.
For more information call 403-932-5984 or visit cochraneactivettes.com.
