This all began one day during Stampede this summer, whilst I was looking online for a place to watch the rodeo online, live. While cruising the CBC website, I stumbled across a handful of rodeo related news articles, flanked by countless irrational comments relating to rodeo, ranching, and other parts of our Albertan heritage. I responded to some of the comments beneath the news stories, but final
ly realized that a paragraph of writing on a time-sensitive news article won't make any sort of difference. Now for those of you who know me, you know I don't exactly get too uptight about much. It was time for me to take some kind of a stand towards these uneducated people who were protesting my family's way of life - without ever taking the time to understand it. After reading a few more articles, I pieced together a quote and created the Eat Cow. Rope Calves. Wecome to Alberta. bumper stickers. The same day, my partner in crime Sandy McGinnis hooked up the Facebook group page, and off we went. I got 100 stickers printed, with the goal of selling 50 of them, and giving 50 away. Within 2 hours on the Stampede grounds, I had ZERO stickers left, and a good sense of just how much Albertans appreciated that I was taking a stand against the people who make such a stink about how we live our lives. ... side note ... Jason Aldean looks even hotter with a bumper sticker across his chest, thanks to Nicole Turner...
The CTV Calgary News aired a 10 minute story about our project, and the Facebook group went from 100 memnbers to over 1000 members overnight. The growth was unreal! Everyone is so positive, and I can't express nearly enough gratitude to everyone who has posted, blogged, tagged and linked the group. It's amazing to see all the parts of the internet it's hit. The stickers have progressed to tshirts, and the tshirts to ball caps, and all of our products have stretched across Canada, into the United States, and even over seas! We've provided tshirts to a number of groups in the area for sales and other deals. Stickers have appeared on golf carts, flack jackets, chuckwagons, cars, motorcycles, briefcases, and even into the hands of a former Alberta Premier.. I'll let you guess which one.. Find us on Twitter
