11/22/07
2007 ‘Ornament of Hope’ for Literacy now available
By Cathy Gilbert

FRED TUCKER/Manning Times

The 2007 Ornament of Hope is now available for sale at F.E. DuBose, Flowers de Linda’s or Tot ‘n’ Teen, all in Manning. Now in its 17th year, proceeds from the sale of the ornaments benefit S.C. Literacy Volunteers.

Is it time to start thinking about Christmas decorating and gifts already. Believe it or not there are just 34 shopping days left before the magic holiday will be here.

A very special decoration or gift is available to support a worthy cause in our community … the 2007 South Carolina “Ornament of Hope” has been produced and is ready for sale at the F.E. DuBose Campus of Central Carolina Technical College, Flowers de Linda’s florist and Tot ‘n’ Teen clothing store, all in Manning.

Since 1991, at the request of the late Gov. Carroll Campbell, noted bird artist Anne Worsham Richardson has allowed one of her spectacular paintings to be used in the creation of the “Ornament of Hope.” Proceeds from the sale of the ornament go to the S.C. Literacy Volunteers to benefit their efforts to bring reading to adults. To date, over $2 million has been raised through the sale of these ornaments.

Anne Worsham Richardson, a Turbeville native, tells a delightful story of the inspiration of this year’s specimen, the Chickadee.

“After a lowcountry windstorm, a man came to my sanctuary with a broken limb from a large oak tree,” Richardson writes. “We brought the limb inside the sun room. As he began his story abut the broken limb, I could hear the chirping of nesting chickadees inside the cavity of the limb.

“ There were five little fluffy baby chickadees in the cavity. I made a place for them in a glass container large enough to fix a habitat for them until they could fly and be placed in the large aviary. They grew strong and were ready to go into the wild in three months.

“After they were released, a delivery man left the door open and they came back for a visit. I could hear them chirping upstairs where they were found perched on the chandelier, Before I caught them to put them back outside, they became models for the 2007 Ornament of Hope.”

Rendered in beautiful 24k gold on solid brass, each ornament is one of a limited edition of 10,000 and produced by the Charleston Mint out of Brevard, N.C. Single ornaments come packaged in a velvet envelope, are numbered and sell for $10. Framed and matted ornaments with print, as shown in the photograph, are also numbered and sell for $30. Both make wonderful Christmas keepsake gifts.

For more information about the Ornament of Hope or Literacy Volunteers, contact Marian Evans at F.E. DuBose at 473-2531.