Think back on what you were doing at age 16. Sneaking out at night in your parents car? Talking too much on the phone?
Odds are you weren’t spending almost all your free time starting a business that raised money for cancer research.
Meet Greer Gate, a 16-year-old Pacific Northwesterner who has raised over $78,000 towards ovarian and breast cancer research at the UW.
Greer got a bead kit for Christmas when she was 7, and started making bracelets right away. At the time, she had a family friend who was suffering from ovarian cancer, and she made and sold 100 bracelets in the first year for her friend.
Unfortunately, that friend passed away in 2010 after battling for seven years. She continues to be Greer’s motivation for her business, My Jewels of Hope.
Flash forward 9 years later, Greer has raised over $78,000 through her business Jewels of Hope, and now makes necklaces, Christmas ornaments, keychains, and badge holders as well.
National figures are taking notice; Greer is in the running for the National Jefferson Awards Lead360 Challenge, which spotlights young people (under 25) doing great and inspiring work. Greer is one of three contenders for the award.
Her goal is to raise $100,000 before her high school graduation in 2015. Interested in helping her reach her goal? Check out her Etsy site or Facebook page.