Unique In-House Service Raises Tens of Thousands of Dollars at The Bridge to Help Staff, Future Expansion
By Jeff Toquinto on July 11, 2024
In an effort to save money at The Bridge, officials ended up making money. In fact, it generated tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.
During Wednesday’s meeting of The Bridge Advisory Committee, General Manager Droo Callahan talked about an in-house service that “perhaps no one knows about” It is a service that benefits employees of The Bridge, tournaments that come to the facility, and eventually The Bridge itself.
“We started doing t-shirts about a year and a half ago, having the ability to make t-shirts for the events that come here,” said Callahan. “When we’re in contact with, for instance, a basketball tournament that is coming here, we’ll ask them for their logo and ask them how many shirts they anticipate being sold.”
From there, the number of shirts with the logos for the tournament are done at The Bridge facility. Callahan said the program earned $38,000 last fiscal year.
“It’s a really positive outcome and I think we’ll continue to expand the t-shirt and sweatshirts,” said Callahan. “There are other positives too.”
The big one is that other city departments have access to the shirts being made as well. Bridgeport Parks and Recreation and the Bridgeport Emergency Management Department has taken advantage of the service, Callahan said. And he said others will be able to utilize the service as well.
“Just like we receive help from other city agencies, we can help out as well,” said Callahan.
Callahan told the Advisory Board the money raised from the shirts sold at tournaments is not as important as the benefit it provides on the shirts done for facility staff. Instead of outsourcing shirts for the hundreds of employees that are there each year, they are made in house.
“We go through a lot of part-time employees,” said Callahan. “When you sign up to be an employee here, we give them two t-shirts, and you can pay for additional ones. Because of the turnover, working with an outside group would be very costly.”
While the $38,000 goes into the general fund and may not seem like a lot of money considering projects at The Bridge are often seven-figure endeavors, Callahan said it is important.
“This 100 percent helps. Every dollar we’re trying to create here goes toward future expansion,” said Callahan.
Editor's Note: Top photo shows General Manager of The Bridge Droo Callahan during Wednesday's meeting, and he is wearing a t-shirt made at the facility. Bottom photo shows Parks and Recreation Director Joe Shuttleworth, left, making a point as City Council member Don Burton listens.
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