Carolina Calendar

From time to time, I am approached by various vendors asking if I would be willing to post an advertisement on the site. They usually offer a percentage of the sale of items, but with a couple of exceptions, I have declined their offers. I am determined to resist the temptation to go down the financial road as other sites have done. This site is still a hobby of mine and I want it to stay that way. That's the pleasure and prerogatives of ownership.

With that being said, the other day I received an e-mail from Andres Fernandez, UNC Class of '99 asking if I would be willing to help him promote a UNC calendar he has produced. I have decided that I would like to assist Mr. Fernandez in his efforts to promote the calendar, and the purpose of this article is to tell you a little about Andres and his calendar. I might not accept every solicitation from every UNC grad who has something to sell, but this one is a little different. Andres is just getting started in this business, and I think he has a quality product that many Tar Heel fans will want to consider purchasing.

Andres and several members of his family are Tar Heels from way back. He has two brothers and a sister-in-law who are UNC grads, but something went wrong with another brother and his wife and they attended an institution down the road a piece. Andres has spent many fun filled afternoons and nights in Kenan Stadium and he particularly remembers his first game as a student when the Heels lost to Syracuse. I remember that game well and dreaded going back to the parking lot because I had engaged in conversations with several Syracuse fans, and I knew they would be waiting for me. They were, but they were gracious in victory, and the meeting was not nearly as unpleasant as I had feared.

Andres worked for the Augusta Chronicle for a while after graduation in '99, but he couldn't get an idea out of his head he had discussed with one of his brothers and his sister-in-law when he was a sophomore at UNC. He had checked into the printing costs upon graduation and determined, at that time, that he did not know enough to form his own graphics company.

After a short stint in Colorado, Andres enrolled at William and Mary and received his MBA this past May. He was now ready to try and make his dream come true.

Sales of the calendar have gone well and they are now available in stores in Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Charlotte. Hopefully, this article will make the calendar known to fans, in general, and will result in even better sales.

The stores where the calendars can be purchased are:

Chapel Hill

A Southern Season
Johnny T-Shirt
Carolina Pride
Tar Heel Book Store
The Print Shop
UNC Student Stores
Sutton's Drug Store

Greensboro

The Conference Store
Lynn's Hallmark

Charlotte

The Book Mark

The calendars can be ordered on line and the link for viewing and ordering is www.castlemediallc.com/nc.html

Might even make a good Christmas gift for Heels who remember their days in Chapel Hill with fondness. For others, it shows "what binds us to the place as no other." I don't think Mr. Kuralt would mind me quoting him on the subject.