Meet Greer Gates, 16, who started My Jewels of Hope in 2005 at 7 year old and lives less than an hour away from Seattle, WA. As a Christmas Gift at 7 years old, Greer received a bead kit and decided to make bracelets to sell for $5 each to support a family friend with Ovarian Cancer. The first year she made 100 bracelets and sold 96 at the Relay for Life. Each year since, she kept at it and she increased her goal, and also began adding new items with hopes of raising more than $100,000 by her high school graduation in 2015 with her nonprofit My Jewels of Hope.
This week, she was notified by the National Jefferson Awards that she is one of the three contenders for “The Lead360 Challenge” and will be among a voting competition similar to American Idol (the most votes wins the prestigious award). You can vote here: https://lead360.jeffersonawards.org/challenge/my-jewels-of-hope/. Anyone under 25 can get involved in the Lead360 Challenge including: individuals, schools, clubs, faith-based or other organizations that work with kids. The challenge spotlight the great work kids do and inspire others to put their ideas into action and tell millions.
Anyone can vote once a day within a 24-hour period. Voting is currently taking place NOW and will END on Wednesday, May 21 and the top 5 national finalist are selected on Thursday, May 22. Voting happens here: https://lead360.jeffersonawards.org/challenge/my-jewels-of-hope/
Greer started off with one bracelet and now she make 3 types of bracelets, 3 necklaces, 3 Christmas ornaments, a key chain, and 2 types of retractable ID Badge holders.
The items are all made by Greer and her small army volunteers, comprised of family and friends, many of them teens and younger.
Greer is now 16, and has sold over $78,000.00. Her goal is to raise more than $100,000 by her graduation in 2015. She has sold at small home parties where the hostess invites a handful to a few dozen friends, in front of grocery stores, holiday fairs and festivals, online via etsy, and at twice yearly at her biggest events at the University of Washington Medical Center trunk shows.
Greer donates her money to research at the UW, specifically to Ovarian and Breast Cancer research and prevention. Her items are made from beads, new and vintage buttons and bottle caps and are VERY reasonably priced from $6 to $15 each. Greer is a Regular Junior In High School.
Visit My Jewels Of Hope for my information.
