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Show ST. GEORGE NEIGHBORHOODS Simillion sells Senior Games By LINDA SAPPINGTON For St. George Neighborhood ST. GEORGE — Carol Simillion of Bloomington can hardly imagine a time when she will no longer be able to work as gift shop manager for the Huntsman World Senior Games. ‘Tm going to be 75 next month and I can feel myself beginning to slow down a little. But, I'm addicted to this work so when I quit being the boss, I will probably go out to the softball park during the games and volunteer a couple of days in the satellite gift shop” It was 15 years ago when Simillion was invited by Games’ staff to help with merchandising the senior games. “We had a few dozen tshirts and some sweatshirts left over from the previous year so we set up two banquet tables in the lobby of the (then) Hilton Inn. - The board could see right away this was going to be a money-maker; noted the Bloomington resident. For the first year or two, Mona Given and Kathie Thayne, then the executive director of the Games, did all the purchasing “and a couple of us volunteers sold the merchandise and kept track of the money: Slowly but _ surely, Simillion recalls, the banquet tables turned into a real store and as a volunteer who had proven her worth, she was hired to manage it. In her position of authority, Simillion began developing processes to track funds, created appropriate forms and documents and replaced the “funny little cash register” with fully computerized point-of-sale equipment which connected automatically to major credit card companies. In a visit to LDS Hospital’s gift shop, Simillion recognized the value of technology even more when she noticed all the merchandise was barcoded. “I thought, ‘if they can do it, surely we can, too.” A “wonderfully, detailoriented woman’ was hired to input the bar codes and for several weeks, Simillion’s “Teally great” assistance from Floyd and Ardith Roeseler and dozens of volunteers reinventoried and bar-coded senior games merchandise. For this year's 22nd annual Huntsman World Senior Games, Simillion, and her new assistant Del Young, expects to be working around the clock for the next several weeks. With only about onethird of her inventory stored at a year-round “annex over on Sunland Drive? Simillion is now receiving boxes and boxes of branded merchandise every day. In anticipation of the two-week event which draws nearly 10,000 senior athletes along with family and friends, Simillion is ready for her\customers with 1,000 sport-specific t-shirts, including volleyball, basketball, cycling and triathlon. She has ordered 1,000 fashion t-shirts for women, in various styles; and taken delivery on 500 outerwear items, such as official games jackets, windbreakers, vests and heavier fleece jackets for those from cooler climates. ~ There will also be 800- For the week of October 3, 2008 ing area. Approximately 8-10 volunteers — of more than 100 Simillion has on her call list — will staff three shifts each day. Training for this army of volunteers takes approxi- — 7 “Two wonderful couples take turns from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 2-3 days each week of the Games,’ Simillion said. Even before the boxes are unpacked, Simillion says she is already thinking ahead to mately 36 hours — an aver- next year. age of two hours each per volunteer cashier. The gift shop manager estimates volunteers will also give more than 100 hours in prep time when they will receive, price and fold merchandise. Another three days will be required to transport the wares, unpack and set-up at the Dixie Center “so everything is ready to go at 9 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 5!” The gift shop at the Dixie Center is not the only responsibility for Simillion who also oversees a satellite gift shop at the Canyons Complex where merchandise is on sale in a trailer donated by Pace America during softball play. “IT don't do much in January butabout Valentine's Day, I start looking at catalogs and researching new merchandise. We consider what sold well in the past and what didn't. I call for bids and consider requests which come into the office and suggestions by the rest of the HWSG’s team and look for good deals on quality merchandise throughout the year’ Simillion noted, “I have a social connection with Games staff and these wonderful volunteers — many who come back year after year — and the work is enjoyable, so much fun and worthwhile! I just love this gift shop. Linda Sappington / For St. George Neighborhoods Carol Simillion prepares for her job at the World Senior Games’ souvenir store. 1,000 golf caps, sun visors, and a variety of sport-specific headgear; childrens items with “cute southwesty designs — like a gecho or something — which are different every year;’ and in celebration of the 10th anniversary of square dancing as a Games sports venue, “we'll ‘have a special shirt for them as well’ Much of the merchandise this year will sport the new official Senior Games logo — graphically enhanced for what Kyle Case, the new executive director, calls “a better depiction of the world aspect of the games” Huntsman Simillion said specific items with the new logo — as well as Adidas brand merchandise, such as shirts, hats, jogging suits and vests — will be on display in a special section of the gift shop. Miscellaneous gift items and collectibles will also be on sale for those looking for pins, mugs and the famous Games mascot, the silver fox — this year dressed in a t-shirt with the new HWSG logo. The gift shop will be open until Friday, Oct. 17 — a total of 142 hours during the world class two-week event in St. George and surround- DIXIE CONVENTION CENTER Oct. 24th and Oct. 25th ‘for booth registration Call: 435-674-627 79 or 435-674-6221 0000002889. 726 www.thespectrum.com — The Spectrum |