For some businesses, surviving during this pandemic may depend on being adaptable to the times.
Miami-based Fox Mar Photography depends on school events for much of its revenue. With schools shut down, the company needed to find a way to stay afloat. It turned to a unique way to help families celebrate the graduations of their high school seniors: yard signs imprinted with a student’s picture.
“When we realized we were gonna face this shutdown, we said we need to figure out a way to make sure our business survives,” said Brian Fox, Director of Fox Mar. “Certainly by no means is this a windfall for us but it is definitely keeping our staff working.”
Fox says they’ve sold hundreds since they offered the product on their website less than two weeks ago.
This is a bad year to be a senior. No graduations, no proms, no trips, no spring sports. So the yard signs are a way to recognize the sacrifices the seniors have had thrust upon them.
“I want them to be remembered as, I don’t know if I can say it, as the bad-ass seniors, class of 2020, who sacrificed their once in a lifetime event to save lives, that’s how I want them to be remembered, class 2020,” said Martha Persten, a mother who spoke to us as the sign honoring her son was being delivered and installed in her front yard.
Persten’s son, Logan Persten, has been battling cancer during his years at Coral Glades High School so the pandemic quarantine doesn’t faze him.
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“I mean, it’s a lot easier to fight this than it was for cancer, at least for here, all you have to do is stay home,” Logan said.
Another Coral Glades student, Crystan Young, told us it’s depressing to think about what she’s missing, it’s a bummer taking classes online instead of in school, so the arrival of her yard sign gave her a boost.
“It put a smile on my face today!” Crystan said.
“When I saw the poster come across I was so happy, I ordered immediately,” said Crystan’s mother, Crystal Young.
Parents seem willing to shell out the $30 or so to give their seniors, like Darby Cook of Cooper City High School, something to hold onto.
“A celebration as much as I can get, ‘cause I know I’m not gonna be able to walk across the stage but at least I get a little nice sign in my yard!” Darby said.
Of course, the smiling faces mounted in the lawn are not going to make up for all the things seniors lost this year, but when people look back on the year 2020 and think about life during quarantine, you might say the miniature billboards were a sign of the times.
