Q: Can you tell me a little bit about Project Ladybug?
Manzo: Project Ladybug is a foundation I started about three years ago. It’s a foundation for children with cancer. Right now we’re working with St. Joseph’s Children Hospital in Paterson, N.J. Currently all of our funds go there, but eventually I’d like to have Ladybugs Funds throughout the country at all different hospitals. What we do is, every penny goes to the children and their specific personal needs. It’s a lot different than the bigger foundations that do medical research. That’s all wonderful, but a lot of times the kids don’t feel the impact of those foundations. We do everything from throw them birthday parties, to buy them their wigs; laptop computers when they need to be homeschooled. We throw them different events, little Make-A-Wish-type things. Anything and everything to make their lives a little bit happier while their battling.
Q: What inspired you to start this foundation?
Manzo: My dad has always given to St. Jude’s Foundation. My middle name is after St. Jude and he’s just always been a huge supporter. I grew up just knowing to give back and that was a foundation that was kind of inherited. My whole adult life I always gave to St. Jude. And then being an event planner and having the brownstone at my fingertips to throw events and everything, I said, “Why not do more than just send a monthly check?”
If you go on my Web site, you’ll see the story how I received a picture of a little girl. When you send to St. Jude they send you packages every month and they have some pictures of some children. There was a month that the one little girl who had Leukemia resembled my daughter so much and it just hit home how fortunate I was to have a healthy child. And I’m like, “I need to do more.”
Q: What is your role in Project Ladybug?
Manzo: I’m very, very hands on and always have been. Now that it’s growing I have people …we’re 100 percent volunteer basis, so I have people helping me out answering e-mail and putting together some smaller fundraisers. My role is still what it's always been. I put every fundraiser together, I visit the kids at the hospital. I put the events for the kids together myself, along with my volunteers. I do anything and everything the foundation is made up of. Take the laptops, to visiting the kids, to putting the fundraisers together, I do it all.
Q: Is there one moment that stands out for you while running Project Ladybug?
Manzo: There are so many touching moments from the people that reach out to me who have been personally affected. In general, just meeting these kids and seeing their strength. These little people, who should be unhappy and sad because of what they’re going through, but their so strong and ear-to-ear smiles. They’re so inspiring. In the beginning, I didn’t want to really be on that end of things while meeting the kids. I just wanted to raise the money because I know how sensitive I am. I used candy stripe. I used to come home sobbing my eyes out every day. So, I knew I wouldn’t be good. I come home, I leave the hospital inspired, and it gives me more strength to do even more for them because they’re just so strong. So amazing. Meeting these kids and seeing their faces and meeting their families is what its all about.
Q: Has the show had an effect on Project Ladybug?
Manzo: Oh, absolutely. I mean, my primary reason for doing the show…I’m so passionate about the cause and I wanted a way to get it out there. When I was approached with this, I said “It would be awesome for my foundation.” It has just exploded. I can’t even keep up with the people reaching out, wanting to help and running fundraisers all over the country. From California to Florida, it’s all in the works now.
We have to restructure things. It’s going to take time because you’re under the spotlight you have to do things exactly right. And I’m new. It’s only three years old; I’m new at this kind of work. I’m used to running a business, but not a nonprofit. We’re in the process of getting our nonprofit status bill and there’s a lot of paper work there that goes into these kind of things. In due time, I’m hoping once everything’s lined up, we’ll have Ladybug Funds and houses all over the country.
Q: Is there a national organization that Project Ladybug is associated with or modeled after?
Manzo: No. Right now, like I said, we’re affiliated with St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. We help the patient’s there right now, but eventually we’ll be spreading throughout all different hospitals. I just did what’s in my heart and what I thought I could do to help these kids. I thought the way to go was personally; to help them with their personal needs. Just put a smile on their face in any way possible. We throw spa parties for the mothers. We’ll throw birthday parties for the siblings too. So it’s anything that’s going to take the burden off of them and put a smile on their face. It wasn’t anything I tried to copy; it’s just from what came from my heart. What I wanted to do to help.
Q: What can others do to help?
Manzo: I guess right now we need all the financial support we can get. We’re building an enclosed playground, at the hospital. It’s amazing how much these things cost. You don’t even take in to consideration that it needs to be enclosed because it’s in the middle of a very busy city on a rooftop. Just their support is all I can ask for and I’m so grateful for. Every penny counts because some of these children that go for their cancer treatments don’t even have a winter coat. We buy their coats, we buy their shoes, whatever they need. Every penny counts. So financial support and help me spread the awareness so we can keep the ball rolling and keep it going.
Interviewed by Kelly Rippin
