Newspaper Page Text
Forsyth County News- Sunday, April 6,1997
Forsyth Life
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Photo/Tom Brooks
Christopher Seay and his collection of Beanie Babies.
Beanie Babies
are marketing
phenomenon
By Marcia Domian
Lifestyle Editor
One short week ago, I had
never heard of Beanie Babies.
Now, I own one.
Beanie Babies are the latest
phenomenon to hit the col
lectible market. Crazes, fads and
hot collectibles have never been
my forte I refused to wait in
line for a Cabbage Patch Kid
preferring to spend my dispos
able income on discontinued
china patterns and pressed glass.
For the uneducated, Beanie
Babies have been on the market
since 1994. They are designed,
manufactured and distributed by
Ty Warner in Oakbrook, Illinois.
The child-sized stuffed animals
have been a huge success from
the beginning. The soft, cuddly
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Photo/M. Domian
Melissa Simmons poses with her Beanie Babies. She
hopes to enlarge her collection in the near future.
creatures come with a name,
birth date and short poem.
Warner has borrowed clever
merchandising ideas from others
and added a few new twists of
his own, the cleverest being the
$5 price tag.
Described as, “pocket-sized,
non-violent, non-computerized,
gender neutral, affordable stuffed
animals” a parent would have to
have a hard heart, indeed, to
refuse the request or the appeal
of a Beanie Baby.
The animals cover all the
bases from the usual cats,
dog, farms animals and teddy
bears to the more exotic, such as
panthers, flamingos, spiders and
manatees. According to the latest
list from the Beanie Baby web
site, 77 animals are currently on
the market and approximately 25
have been retired.
After an animal has been
“retired” demand apparently
increases, driving prices to three,
four and six times the original
$5. Rumor has it, that a certain
retired Beanie Baby carries a
SI,OOO price tag.
The most outrageous example,
is Tabasco the Bull. It seems the
small red bull was so popular
among basketball fans (Chicago
Bulls) stores couldn’t keep it
stocked. The price went even
higher, when Ty, Inc. was forced
to take the bull off the market
because of infringements alleged
by the manufacturers of red fire
in a bottle. Then the Bulls won
the 1996 NBA championship! If
you own a Tabasco the Bull you
may be able to pay for your tod
dler’s college education.
According to Kay
Montgomery of Parson’s depart
ment store, Beanie Babies sales
started to sky rocket just after
See BEANIES, Page 2B
April is Volunteer Month
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Photo/Marcia Dornian
Pictured left to right are Brenda Mecredy, president-elect Baptist North Auxiliary; Lorraine
Collins, Alice Richardson, Dorothy Spreen, Margaret Steinhoff and Ralph Gordon.
Baptist North to celebrate Volunteer Week
A.
By Sheri Toomey
Staff Writer
On April 16 the Baptist North
Hospital Auxiliary volunteers will
gather together for a celebratory
luncheon.
The annual event sponsored by
the hospital coincides with volun
teer week nationwide. The volun
teer of the year will be chosen and
awards will be given out for hours
of service.
Last year the 41 volunteers con
tributed 9,160 hours of service to
the hospital. Each department,
from radiology to the emergency
room, benefits from the clerical
work performed by the auxiliary.
Collectively the volunteers spend
an average of 600 to 750 hours a
Ibur home has a view from every roong
By Marcia Domian
Lifestyle Editor
Springtime in the South means
home and pilgrimage tours are at
their peak. However, not all home
tours are the same.
Where can you get a personal
tour of three beautiful homes, your
choice of an elegant lunch or
sumptuous dinner and a cruise on
Lake Lanier aboard a luxurious
yacht?
All of the above is available with
your ticket to the Seventh Annual
Tour of Homes. Thirty seats are
still available for the Ticket A din
ner cruise on April 25 at 7 p.m.
priced at SSO, and forty-five seats
are available for the Ticket B for
the tour and luncheon cruise on
April 26 at 9:45 a.m., priced at
$35. Both tickets include the home
tour. Tickets for the tour of homes
only are still available; priced at
sls.
The popular annual event bene
fits The Place, Rural Social
Services. The Place is a lifeline to
people who need temporary, emer
gency assistance. The Place offers
programs to help with medical
expenses, fuel emergencies and
supplemental groceries. Other pro
grams offer services to the elderly
and activities for children. The
Place has helped more than 2,000
men, women and children each
month.
One of the homes on the 1997
tour reflects the true benefit of liv
ing in beautiful North Georgia.
Located on a shaded cul-de-sac,
the European styled brick home is
traditional in flavor, yet visitors
will feel welcome the moment they
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month giving their time and ener
gy-
“We’re here to supplement the
hospital and help them,” said
Margaret Steinhoff, Baptist North
Auxiliary president. “The cama
raderie we have in this group is
wonderful.”
The gift shop is also completely
run and staffed by the volunteers
who also deliver mail and flowers
to patients.
Auxiliary members also work
hospital sponsored health fairs,
such as the cancer forum held at
the Sawnee Center. They work the
registration table and make sure
help is available wherever needed.
The auxiliary helps make the hos
pital a little bit more like home for
patients. Every year the group dec-
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Photo/Tom Brooks
The annual Tour of Homes to benefit The Place features this elegant traditional homs.A
view of the golf course is the focal point of every room in this beautiful home. *
step inside.
The open two-story foyer is
accented with an open, curved
staircase to the second floor and
leaded glass windows allow natur
al light to warm the area. I
The library, complete with fire
place, boasts warm cherry paneling
and hardwood floors. Inset into the
hardwood is a border of marble tile
that adds color and interest to this
masculine bastion.
The hardwood floors throughout
orates the hospital for Christmas.
Party favors are also delivered to
patients for every holiday.
Patients are also greeted two to
three times a week by the sunshine
cart. Volunteers wheel the cart
around while offering refresh
ments, books, and magazines to
patients and visitors. The service is
provided at no cost to patients or
their families.
Soon each patient will be visited
by a volunteer each day as part of a
new program sponsored by the
auxiliary members.
Fund raisers such as the annual
book sale, bake sales, and craft
fairs enable the group to purchase
items for the hospital. One year the
money was used to buy televisions
the first floor living areas are
accented with oriental rugs in
strong patterns of black, green,
rose and white.
One of the outstanding features
of this lovely home is the view.
The entire back of the house on
all three levels offers a view of
the golf course. From the master
bedroom to the game room, large
uncluttered windows bring nature
into sharp focus. The open fairway
is visible all year through carefully
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In the right hands,
mirades happen
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and lounge chairs for the waiting
room. The hospital chapeLMs
decorated with auxiliary fundSrlh
addition, all the flowers throughout
the hospital are arranged and pro
vided by the auxiliary.
The group is part of a large-net
work of auxiliaries and has been
volunteering at the hospital shrce
1958.
Brenda Mecredy, president elect,
spent 20 years volunteeringMfy
community service work but
had enough time to donate afltil
she moved to Forsyth County -With
her husband.
Ralph Gordon initially encour
aged his wife to volunteer antT is
now following his own advice.**’
“I definitely recommend itfor
everybody,” said Gordon.
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preserved oaks and delicate fog
woods.
This home exhibits beautiful
custom trim work and the buffer
won the 1996 Qptd
Professionalism Award
Greater Atlanta Homebuilfjet’S
Association for design and exjgpti
tion. Particularly interesting, isjhe
cabinet work in the kitchen
See VIEW, Page2B
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