Buffalo High School Students Win Prestigious National Competition for Lifetraw® Business Venture

A team of students from Holy Angels Academy in Buffalo, New York won a national business competition hosted by Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE). SAGE is an international nonprofit which links high school students with business and civic leaders. The association operates tournaments with the hope of inspiring smart and socially responsible leaders. As a result of their May win, the students will travel to Brazil in August for the SAGE World Cup.

The May victory built on the group's successes in the 2008 SAGE competition. Last year, the team finished second at the USA Finals. That spot let them represent the US at the SAGE World Cup in Nigeria. In Nigeria, their entry came in fifth overall and second among environmental projects. Both years, the students' project was a multi-part business that earned money to provide LifeStraw® water filters to people in countries without safe drinking water.

Both projects used children's books to promote social responsibility. The first story, The Fresh Water River, featured a family of animals that used LifeStraws® to save their lives. The animals also helped humans to clean up the environment. The second book is called Under the Big Tree and takes place in the Congo. The story continues the themes of the first book with a family of gorillas that use LifeStraws® and take care of the environment. Profits from the book were used to purchase LifeStraws® for a village in the DRC and for the guards who protect the gorillas that inspired the story.

The students also raised money this year with their new business, "SAGE on the Stage," which holds dances for elementary and high school students. The group also continued a successful greeting card division from the previous competition.

The girls presented their plan to a panel of approximately 30 judges. The students' advisor, Brian Carrier, said that the key to their success was "a very buttoned up business plan as well as their high level of believability" when presenting. Mr. Carrier also said that "The judges were very impressed with our global efforts that continued to improve on our LifeStraw® projects year after year."

"The girls from Holy Angels Academy would like to thank the many Vestergaard Frandsen employees who assisted them. Personally meeting employees such as Kim Rasmussen and Elizabeth Meni Olugboke from the Abuja office was a tremendous experience. To have the employees actually come to watch us present was amazing. We look forward to continuing our relationship" added Mr. Carrier.

Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, CEO of Vestergaard Frandsen, which manufactures LifeStraw®, said that he was "impressed by the level of professionalism the girls demonstrated and the extent of their entrepreneurial spirit."