Wantagh Area Clothing Line Creates for a Cause

After years of producing merchandise for local businesses, a group of Wantagh graduates decided to take their project to the next level.

Passenger Project, a clothing line dedicated to raising money toward various charities, was founded last year as Wantagh native Kevin Ciminelli was inspired by high school friend Jake Schaefer for his senior thesis at Adelphi University.

"I was taking business and graphic design courses as a Graphic Design major at Adelphi when Jake proposed this idea," said Ciminelli. "I ran with it for my senior thesis and by the end of the year we had a full functioning business donating to charity through selling merch."

"Right now I'm at the point where I've graduated college and have the option to pursue my degree in Graphic Design, but I want to focus on this for a while," he added. "It's what 100 percent of my time is committed to."

Ciminelli, 22, said the goal of Passenger Project is to reinvent the idea of giving back for a younger generation. Each month, organizers, Ciminelli, Schaefer, Ian Borneman and Mike Califano, choose a new cause or organization to fight for. For the month of July, Passenger Project has made it their mission to battle injustice. Proceeds will benefit Equality Now, a program dedicated to promoting the human rights of women.

"Our company doesn't want to just benefit one charity," Ciminelli explained. "We want to spread the love around and kick start charities to help a variety of causes. We chose Equality Now whose mission is to help prevent gender inequality and sex trafficking."

Right now, Ciminelli said he and his co-founders are not making any profit off of their latest endeavor as their main concern is to keep business going and donate as much as possible to their causes.

"Any time somebody buys merch from our website, about 50 percent goes straight to production, but the remaining profit is cut in half and split between business costs and that month's charity," he said.

"We set progressive fundraising goals throughout the month," Ciminelli added. "My personal goal is at least $1,000 for each cause. Hopefully as we grow, we can raise more money for organizations all over the world."

In recent months, Passenger Project has donated thousands of dollars to local causes including a young Wantagh boy battling cancer and Cycle to Survive for Sloan Kettering. For more information on upcoming causes or to purchase merchandise, visit their website.