Students hope the t-shirt cannon will launch excitement and boost sales for the school’s Spirit Shop.

Worthington Christian junior Austin Wrobbel distinctly remembers going on a trip to a Cincinnati Reds game. It was not because of a grand slam or a no-hitter. He remembers the excitement of catching one of the t-shirts fired from “Redzilla.”

“Redzilla” is the Reds’ massive 57-barrel t-shirt tank capable of launching 114 shirts into the upper decks of the Great American Ballpark.

“That was a great day,” Wrobbel said. “I got a free T-shirt, and the Reds won. ”

Since then, Wrobbel has watched cheerleaders fire t-shirt cannons at Ohio State football and basketball games and other sporting events. However, he never dreamed he might be one of the people pulling the trigger.

Wrobbel and his classmates in Nick Johnson’s Retail Management class will have that chance thanks to the Worthington Christian Student Innovation Grant program. The class’s proposal to purchase a T-shirt cannon was selected for the school’s first Student Innovation Grant.

Johnson, the Upper School Small Business and Entrepreneurship Coordinator, said the idea for a t-shirt cannon came out of a brainstorming session on ways to promote the student-run Spirit Shop.

“The students were discussing marketing ideas for our new spirit store and brainstorming fun ways to generate excitement,” Johnson said. “They eagerly asked, ‘Ooooh, can we get a T-shirt cannon?’ I told them I wouldn’t purchase one from our budget because I don’t think it’s the best use of our funds at the moment.”

“Then the school asked if students had any ideas and projects they would like to submit for the Student Innovation Grant. I asked my class, ‘Hey guys, if you really want this, there’s a grant you can apply for.’”

Johnson said the students had to include all the details needed for the purchase, including the cost of the device and how it could be used to benefit the school.

According to Johnson, Wrobbel snagged the application and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Johnson. I got this.”

Wrobbel and his classmates then researched all the costs involved in purchasing the product.

Wrobbel said the device could bring excitement to sporting events and house competitions and raise interest in the Spirit Store, which was started this year. Wrobbel suggested that cannon’s shirts would also contain a $5 gift certificate for the store.

“At the beginning, the idea of buying a t-shirt cannon was kind of a joke,” Wrobbel said. “However, the more we thought about it, the more we realized it could be kind of fun, and it could also get students to come in and buy shirts and sweatshirts.”

Student Innovation Grants are funded with gifts from donors, and they give students the unique opportunity to pursue projects in research, community development, and educational initiatives. Please consider a gift for future projects.