44°
RYE, N.Y. When Daniel Lovinger stood at the register of Candy Rox in Rye and pulled out a Duct tape wallet made by his son, Joseph, 13, it caught the eye of Jennifer Magiet, manager of the store.
Joseph began making wallets from Duct tape, like the one he gave to his father, several months ago in an effort to sell them to raise money for his lifelong friend Jacob Sontag, who suffers from a rare genetic brain ailment called Canavan disease.
One day, Joseph and his friend Dean stumbled upon a YouTube video demonstrating how to make paper wallets. Soon discovering that origami wasnt very profitable, Joseph and his partner opted to give Duct tape a try, and JDWallets was formed.
"After hearing Joseph and Jacobs story, we were totally open to it," Magiet said. "Its since taken on a life of its own.
Candy Rox has been selling JDWallets for almost a year now and Magiet estimates they've sold "at least 200, maybe more.
"Joseph is really an awesome kid, she said. He comes in here a couple times a month to drop off new wallets and check on inventory. He's always looking to see what's selling and what's not." Magiet added, "He's extremely smart and really talented.
Each wallet goes for about $10, and all the money raised from the Candy Rox wallet sales go to benefit Jacob's Cure, a foundation set up for Jacob Sontag and his family. Joseph was recently honored by the foundation for all his efforts.
Candy Rox, which is located on Purchase Street in downtown Rye, sells candy, accessories, and more. Magiet describes it as "fun, "sweet" and not just for children.
"We have parents come in here, and they are just as excited as their children sometimes. They're just like kids in a candy store," Magiet said smiling.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Rye and receive free news updates.
