When Sheri Waynick was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in March of 2000 she was given a slim survival rate after five years.  Well five years have come and gone and Waynick is alive and kicking!  That is she’s kicking open the doors to a brand new clothing store for young women; Lizard Thicket, and re-opening the door to a career in retail that seems to be in her blood. 

Waynick opened the first Lizard Thicket store in Meridian, Miss., in 1987 when she was 24. Not long after that she opened another one in Hattiesburg, Miss. and continued to operate them for two years, even after moving to Peachtree City in 1991. The Braelinn Mall store opened in 1993 and closed in December of 2002.

Having survived her cancer treatment, Waynick decided to close the Braelinn Mall Lizard Thicket. It was hard for her to close the doors of the store in 2002, but she couldn’t resist a very strong calling to do something different with her life. Waynick accepted a position with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and as the local income manager for the ACS, she spent every day helping the southern Atlanta area become more aware of the services ACS has to offer to the community, as well as raising money to fund local cancer programs, research, and development of cancer cures and treatments. After three exhausting, fulfilling years with ACS, Waynick again got the itch to try a new endeavor. Taking a challenging spin in the financial business community gave Waynick the push she needed to return to her original love; retail. The retail clothing business is in her blood and family history. 

 Recently a brand new Lizard Thicket clothing store hosted its grand opening at the Kedron Shopping Center in Peachtree City. Last spring Waynick was asked to speak to the Beta Club, a service organization, at Starr’s Mill High School. She concluded her speech with the famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” 

Deciding it was time to put those words to use in her own life, Waynick built the new Lizard Thicket and stocked it with beautiful clothing for young women. This Lizard Thicket store will be a store with a unique commitment to community service.

Waynick intends to use the store as a “home base” for non-profit organizations that are looking for volunteers, and for volunteers who are looking for organizations to volunteer their services to. She intends to have her employees devote time each day to reaching out to the community. The store’s mission is to facilitate a change for the better in this world. One thing is for sure, those who shop the new Lizard Thicket will certainly look beautiful while they improve the world. 

login to post comments