Youths seek souvenirs as NCYC approaches

T-shirts, polo shirts, hooded sweatshirts, several varieties of hats, dog tags and key chains are among the many items being sold for the National Catholic Youth Conference being held on Nov. 17-19 in Indianapolis. Souvenir items are available through the conference’s website at www.ncyc.nfcym.org. Click on “NCYC Gear” at the top of the website’s first page to shop for souvenirs. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)

Criterion staff report

As anticipation builds for the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis on Nov. 17-19, the interest in souvenir merchandise for the event is also growing.

Hooded sweatshirts, dog tags and T-shirts—all featuring the conference’s “Called to Glory” theme—are among the popular items already being swept up online by the 23,000 high school students from across the country who plan to attend the event.

“They’ll be meeting a lot of people during their time here at NCYC so they’ll want to have souvenirs of that time,” says Steve James, director of purchasing for the archdiocese and merchandising chairperson of the 2011 NCYC. “The items were chosen by our local steering committee with the help of youths who are going to be in attendance at the conference. The youths wanted more hats.”

Besides hats, sweatshirts and T-shirts, scarves, key chains, fleeces, stocking caps, water bottles and comfortable pants are among the souvenir items available through the conference’s website at www.ncyc.nfcym.org.

“The one thing I wanted to make sure is that the pricing on the merchandise was lower than it was in Kansas City [the site of NCYC in 2009],” James says. “I think we’ve done that. The wall posters are a buck. The hooded sweatshirts are $18.78, and a fleece is $31.49. We figure the hooded sweatshirt will be a big seller as the weather changes. The hoodie was big in Kansas City.”

While souvenirs are now available on the conference website—click on “NCYC Gear” at the top of the website’s first page to shop—most of the items will also be sold during the conference, which is being held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

“Things that are getting heavier hits on the website will be stocked at the event at the convention center,” James says.

Part of the fun and the festivities at the conference will be a park inside the convention center that has a baseball theme. So baseball-style shirts are also being sold.

“Most of what we have is youth-oriented,” James says. “We hope the youths like the items.” †