The Hangar is a place uplifting school spirit and supporting school events. It has been part of SHS for decades, but what does it have to offer?
Marie Trelka, who has run the shop for the past two years, provided a look behind the scenes. “My primary role is ordering, to make sure the shop is in order, and to make sure we have what we need for the Sycamore population as a whole,” Trelka said.
The Hangar is located near the auditorium, by Door 18. Although originally located in the commons, the Hangar changed locations because “it’s much easier for the public to just come in and out of the door right here and it makes it easy for parking. They don’t disturb the school day or the office,” added Trelka.
The store’s merchandise ranges from toddler to adult sizes, with seasonal favorites keeping the shelf fresh. This year, custom quarter-zips and Sycamore-themed pajama pants have been especially popular. Obtaining items for the hangar is complex because they need to arrive on time for the year.
“The process for running the Hangar actually starts in the spring. We meet with vendors, and we look at their lines and decide what we want to choose…we order around March or April. Our items don’t actually ship until July, making it the busiest month. We get a lot of inventory! We fill in throughout the year for new, fun stuff,” Trelka explained.
Trelka helps make decisions on what designs look best and what the shop wants to sell. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, work-study students can come in and help run the Hangar shop. Work-study students are students with special needs that get the opportunity to learn how to run a retail store with the help of their job coach. The Hangar also relies on volunteers to run the shop, Trelka said.
However, the Hangar’s story stretches back decades. Christa Lloyd, vice president of the Hangar, traced its roots. “The Hangar began decades ago as just a small supply store in the now-storage closet, upstairs to the left of the Synnovation Lab. There was a roll-up window where students could stop by for folders, notebook paper, candy, etc. In 2012, two PTO moms decided to expand the closet by adding spirit merch. A pennant, then a hat… they ran it voluntarily for years and began adding clothing, expanding the Hangar space in the Commons. [The Hangar] moved upstairs in 2023 to enhance school security and community access,” Lloyd said.
Proceeds fund SHS projects, scholarships, events, and programs for SHS students, families, and staff. From a small closet window to a full-fledged school spirit store, the Hangar continues to fuel Aviator while giving back to those who support it.
