Hives for Lives: Bee the Cure We Seek

Vital Stats

MOLLY and CARLY H

Devon, PA

people helped20000
People Doing It 0

The Problem

The inspiration for Hives for Lives was an incredible man named Michael Otto Houlahan. Five years ago, at the age of 63 he passed away from the deadly disease of cancer. He was my grandfather. I was in the 6th grade when he died. Shortly after his death, my other grandparents came to visit my house. They had beehives that, at the time, were simply a hobby my sister and I shared with them. They were talking about how they didn’t know what we should do with all of the honey. My little sister Carly and I suggested we sell it for charity. All of our profits would go to help fight cancer: to help those suffering, to prevent others from suffering, and to honor my grandfather. Hives for Lives is important to me because it helps keep my grandfather alive in my heart and in my memories. My little sister came up with the name and logo. So far we have raised over $150,000 and are still going strong in our fifth year. We have been recognized as Pennsylvania's top two youth volunteers for the Community Spirit Awards, by the Barron Award for environmentalism, and even by the President himself (yeah, of the US!) in person! I feel like we are creating hope for the future and a way for kids like me to feel as if they make a difference.

Plan of Action

All of our profits from our sales at the end of each year go to beat cancer. We have identified charitable partners in each of the regions that our honey is sold in to benefit from honey sales in their area. This year we were able to give away over $70,000 additional dollars to half a dozen world-renowned hospitals and research centers in the US. This brings our total donations over five years to over $120,000. All of our money goes to fund basic research. We have deliberately funded "out of the box" research at our nation's best cancer research organizations and hospitals because we want to eradicate the disease permanently. This kind of money goes to the earliest stages of research; to new ideas that may not be funded yet because they are so new or innovative. We have sold over 20,000 jars of honey and countless lipbalms and candles in over 30 states and 2 countries. We have also spoken about our company and the power of business and kids in Colorado, Texas, California, New York, New Jersey, and Washington DC. We have spoken to groups of kids and adults alike; to schools, hospitals, tradeshows, business conventions, environmental conferences, etc.

For More Info

http://www.hivesforlives.com/

Cancer

Environment

Physical and Mental Health