Houlahan, Moly and Carly

Molly Houlahan, 15, a tenth-grader at Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA, and Carly Houlahan, 13, a seventh-grader at Agnes Irwin School, started a bee-product business that has raised more than $25,000 by selling honey, honeycomb, and beeswax candles and lip balm. Molly and Carly launched “Hives for Lives” three years ago after their grandfather died of throat cancer. “We wanted to do something to remember him and to make sure others would not get sick and die like he did,” they said. Molly, the CEO of the business, and Carly, the President, harvest honey from nine hives in Virginia at the end of the summer, and then spin, filter, bottle, and label it by hand. They also make lip balm and candles from beeswax. To sell their products, Molly and Carly call on hospital gift shops, food stores, kitchen shops, and other retail outlets; take orders on a website (www.hivesforlives.com); and spend many weekends at local fairs and markets. Their “jobs” also include recruiting volunteers (called “Helper Bees”), preparing business presentations, meeting with suppliers, and speaking at schools and hospitals. In addition, Molly runs a Hives for Lives Young Business Leaders Club at her school. “Hives for Lives will go on as long as there is cancer,” said Molly. “I hope every year the business will grow,” added Carly. Molly and Carly’s efforts recently won them the 2007 middle school and high school Prudential Spirit of the Community Awards as the top youth volunteers in the state of Pennsylvania, and the Presidents Volunteer Service Award. Bee the Cure We Seek: Hives for Lives After the loss of their grandfather to cancer in 2003, Molly and Carly Houlahan (15 and 13) decided they wanted to honor his memory by raising money to find a cure. Instead of pursuing the typical lemonade stand or garage sale, Molly and Carly set out to create a sustainable, scalable business whose on-going profits would be donated to finding a cure for cancer. In 2004, Molly and Carly founded Hives for Lives. To date, they have raised over $25,000 selling honey, beeswax lip balm and beeswax candles. They are here to share their story of kids with a cause, turning grief into action, and harnessing the power of the next generation.