Ornament sales to benefit Hope Village

By By Penny Randall / staff writer
Nov. 25, 2003
Emmy Award-winning actress and Lauderdale County native Sela Ward is coming home for the Thanksgiving holidays and will help raise money for Hope Village for Children.
Ward will be at McRae's inside Bonita Lakes Mall from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Friday to sign copies of an original European hand-blown glass Christmas ornament called "Swing Time."
Money raised from the sale of the $45 collectible ornament available only at McRae's will benefit Hope Village, a nonprofit organization committed to the care and nurturing of disadvantaged children.
Joy to The World Collectibles worked closely with Ward on the design of the ornament, which was inspired by her love of the simple lifestyle found in her hometown of Meridian.
Ward now lives in in Los Angeles. Ward, who won Emmys for her work in "Once and Again" and "Sisters," will appear on the big screen early next year in the new film "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights."
The "Swing Time" ornament is completely finished by hand; each one takes seven days to make. The hair and eye color of the children featured on the ornament are of Ward's own son and daughter.
Ward said she wanted an ornament that featured children because the focus of Hope Village is to help disadvantaged children. Ward has played a major role in Hope Village, which opened in December 2001.
SELA APPEARANCE
The event: Sela Ward will sign copies of an original
European hand-blown glass Christmas ornament called "Swing Time."
The date: Friday,
9 a.m.-11 a.m. at McRae's inside Bonita Lakes Mall; the ornament will continue to be sold at McRae's after Ward's appearance.
The cause: Money raised from the sale of the $45 ornament will benefit Hope
Village for Children. In addition, McRae's also is giving $10,000 to Hope Village.