(201) Family April/May 2017 | Page 18

DO- GOODER EMAIL US AT [email protected]. game on! LILY WAGNER TEAMS UP WITH ELI MANNING’S TACKLE KIDS CANCER ENDEAVOR ily Wagner, a sixth grade student at Eisenhower Elementary School in Wyckoff, combined her admiration for New York Giant Eli Manning with her willingness to help others and created her own company called Lily’s Looks. “When our school announced that we were doing a TREP$ entrepreneur club I was excited to come up with an idea that would be fun and have an opportunity to help others in need,” Wagner says. “My idea was to make handmade infinity scarves and cute bookmarks that would make great holiday gifts. I came up with a name and Lily’s Looks was started.” Wagner decided to donate a portion of proceeds to Tackle Kids Cancer at the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center – the same campaign Manning supports. “I love the Giants and especially Eli Manning,” Wagner says. “As far as helping others, there is a girl in first grade in our town who has been fighting cancer for the past three years and she is such an inspiration to me.” With advice from her parents, Lily was persistent in her mission. “It was a lot of hard work and trying to balance school work and all of the work that needed to be done overnight to get (the business) prepared for the marketplace was challeng- ing,” she says. “The best part was when the TREP$ mar- ketplace opened and so many people stopped by to look at my scarves and bookmarks and were surprised that I made them all and that I was giving part of my profits to charity.” Wagner says her friends and peers were very supportive and she is still taking orders for scarves. As for future plans, the young entre- preneur says, “I have already started to think about what my project can be for the TREP$ program next year. It was so much fun learning how to start your own business.” When asked if she has any advice for others looking to start their own busi- ness or wanting to give back, she says, “I feel really proud of my accomplish- ments and am really excited to be able to donate $200 to the Tackle Kids Cancer Foundation. Follow your pas- sion and even when things get tough, remember that you can do it.” ● “FOLLOW YOUR PASSION AND EVEN WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN DO IT.” Lily Wagner SCARVES: COURTESY L HAVE A “DO-GOODER” STORY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? – DEIRDRE FLANAGAN WARD 16 APRIL/MAY 2017 | (201) FAMILY 201magazine.com