A whale of a charitable tale
When Hilary Pritchard opened Whale’s Tale in Cape May, New Jersey, with her husband Chuck 48 years ago, they immediately focused on ways their store could make a difference. The shop, which carries an eclectic assortment of gifts, handcrafts, jewelry, cards, toys and books, began selling T-shirts and bumper stickers to support Greenpeace and other groups that work to save whales from international harvesting. From there, the couple organized “Whale Day in Cape May,” a conference featuring expert speakers. This led to an opportunity to help on the board of The Nature Center.
Whale’s Tale owners have been involved with a range of other local causes over the years, too, including The Center for Community Arts, Hurricane Sandy relief, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Family Promise, a program that helps house families in need.
"Giving back has always helped us feel part of the community and given us the opportunity to know the pulse of our loyal customer base." — Hilary Pritchard
The Nature Center is hosting a new Ocean Arts Festival in June and as you might expect, Whale’s Tale is one of the sponsors. “Environmental causes are important because the health and cleanliness of our ocean affect all of us in a personal and business sense,” Hilary says.
Business and community
Community involvement has also been important to the Pritchards who have served on many nonprofit boards in the region. “We’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is as [a nonprofit] to carry out your mission without business support,” says Hilary.
The last two years, the Pritchards organized a toy drive in December. This past year, the couple added a food drive component. “The entire Washington Street Mall was invited to participate, and our local food bank was very grateful,” Hilary says.
Pulling together
Hilary also serves as the chairperson for the local Washington Street Mall Merchants Association. Of that role, she says, “Time is precious, but especially during these COVID-19 years, we need to pull together as merchants to find our way through these new and unprecedented challenges.”
The Pritchards plan to continue their community involvement. As their sons and daughter-in-law move the business forward with their own spin, Hilary says they’ll also be carrying on “our mission to make a difference.”
