KAGAWONG – The mysterious Team Fergmeijer of Kagawong has partnered with the public library in Billings Township to help raise funds for the centre by selling light-hearted apparel that extols the duo’s propensity for puns.
“Team Fergmeijer is all about puns and being funny so it was sort of a natural marriage for Team Fergmeijer to go into the funny t-shirt business. Not everyone knows our secret identities,” said an unidentified person very familiar with the ins-and-outs of the elusive Team Fergmeijer.
The two-person team has delighted Island newspaper readers with their weekly column in the Manitoulin West Recorder that contains Billings area happenings and is peppered with puns and wordplay.
The secretive team would only agree to be interviewed by The Expositor if this reporter could be blindfolded and transported to an undisclosed location.
“The idea of funny shirts seemed to be a popular one and it was something I had seen other organizations do,” said the unidentified person very familiar with the ins-and-outs of the mysterious Team Fergmeijer (hereafter referred to as ‘the source’).
Items for sale in the fundraiser include shirts, face masks, tote bags and onesies for the littlest Islanders.
“The library board was very excited to launch it. We’ve had people buy almost one of everything to outfit their friends, family members and children. We’ve had really good feedback about the items and people are very supportive of the library in Kagawong,” said the source.
The library has faced the usual challenges in COVID times, from limiting its patrons to two or three at a time in the small space to fewer seasonal visitors using internet access.
Those who have attended have followed the health protocols at the building, which has become more of a social hub than a silent hall of knowledge. As the summer has tapered off and restrictions have eased, more people have returned to use its services.
Team Fergmeijer is running the ‘pundraiser’ through Teespring, a company that makes custom apparel. All profits from each item go to the library, a value the source estimated at a few dollars per unit.
The duo’s column is lighthearted and reflects the unique characters in the Billings area. They debated whether or not to put their team name on the shirts but ultimately agreed as a community building asset.
“We’re hoping that these items become an extension of the idea of Team Fergmeijer; we want to embody the sense of humour that Kagawong and Billings have. It’s a ridiculous place in a lot of ways and our team fits nicely into that quirky niche,” said the source.
“The items in the fundraiser are ideal for a 29th birthday in particular and from face masks to onesies, they encompass all of your fashion needs,” the source said, referencing the strange tendency for every birthday in the column to involve someone turning 29.
The fundraiser has no end date and the team plans to add one or two new designs each summer.
“We’re also in talks for a blockbuster Hollywood movie and a book deal, and you can always pick up our unpublished cookbook, ‘Cooking with Heather and Jill’—those names definitely have no relation to Team Fergmeijer,” said the source.
More information about the ‘pundraiser’ and the Billings library are posted on the homepage at billings-library.com.
