Pictured are members of the class of 2028 at Panama Central School, who are currently holding a fundraiser selling discount cards and merchandise from local businesses. Submitted photo

PANAMA — Panama Central School’s Class of 2028 is helping support local businesses while also holding their own fundraiser.

The class’s fundraiser includes selling a discount card, printed for the class by Falconer Printing, and an overall sale of some goods including local honey, maple syrup, candy, soap, and coffee.

The card allows for discounts at local participating restaurants, retailers, services and destinations. Participating businesses include; The Ashville General, Sauce, Labyrinth/Brazil, Lake Life Kitchen, Lake Life Café, The Bear Lake Inn, Panama Pizza, Chautauqua Soap, Chautauqua Reel Outdoors, Timber Creek Golf Course, Panama Auto Center, Epic Floats and Wellness, Panama Rocks, Pearl City Clay House, The Audubon, and the Fenton History Center.

Merchandise sales will be due Friday for deliveries by Easter, but the cards will be on sale for longer.

One of the class advisors, David Becker, said that the idea for the fundraiser came following looking for a unique idea.

“Helen Keefe and I have been working on trying to create something that stood apart from other fundraisers,” Becker said. “Additionally, what we’ve come up with has grown from conversations with Jonathan Weston, owner of Panama Rocks. When we settled on the idea of focusing on local small businesses, the next step was to reach out to anyone and everyone we knew and loved to see if they were interested. We’re so lucky that so many places that we know and love wanted to take part.”

Becker said that while looking to raise money for the class, they also knew that more could be done to help bring together some local businesses, by speaking and working with them to get them involved.

Jonathan Weston, who owns Panama Rocks, one of the businesses participating in the fundraiser, said he wanted to participate because of his connection to the school.

“As a Panama graduate, with a daughter currently attending and a son who will be a future Panther, I am grateful for the opportunity to help with a school fundraiser,” Weston said. “I also love that the school is taking an active role in supporting local businesses. This fundraiser is a great way to not only help the Class of 2028 but also encourage people to shop local. It’s wonderful to see Panama Central School fostering these connections–it strengthens our community and benefits everyone involved.”

For Becker and the class of 2028, it is important for this fundraiser to connect to the local businesses and community as well.

“These are our people,” Becker said. “We have employees who sell great stuff, community members who sell great stuff, and small business owners that our students and staff love, too. We believe firmly that if we support each other, everyone can benefit. We certainly hope that this is the case.”

People should be interested in the card and sale, first off because it supports local businesses, Becker said, but also because all of the businesses have a lot to offer. Becker added that the discount card can save people a lot of money at these places.

“So, we’re supporting local businesses, but most importantly, these are great things that we’ve brought together,” Becker said. “And it’s not just the merchandise: these local businesses that agreed to be a part of the gift card do great things, and have really jumped on board with excellent deals. Someone who bought one of the discount cards will save a lot of money if they use the card, even as they support our small businesses.”

Anyone interested in purchasing either merchandise or the card can contact a member of the Class of 2028, or either of the two advisors, Helen Keefe, hkeefe@pancent.org, or Becker, dbecker@pancent.org. There is also a QR code available that links directly to the class page at Falconer Printing.

Overall, Becker said this is just one way the class and school can work to help local businesses thrive now and in the future.

“I am confident that this is just the start of a lot of different ways that we will be working over the next four years and beyond to really push for our local businesses to help them thrive,” Becker said. “We’re always stronger together.”