Rings and Things

” A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”  And a bead added to the world’s longest necklace is not lost…

The start of the world's longest beaded necklace (image from the Scranton Times-Tribune)

We heard from Mary Ann Corey, the co-founder of a nonprofit organization called The Portable Playhouse (TPP) . This is an art-therapy program for thousands of women and children recovering in hospitals and cancer centers  in several states.  They use glass, crystal and silver beads to create one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that the patients get to wear and keep. They’re in 2 New York hospitals and 7 New Jersey hospitals, with many more in the surrounding areas and across the country waiting for this program. To date, they’ve worked with over 37,000 women and children, “beading one smile at a time.”

Seeking new and creative ways to implement and fund this unique program, TPP decided to launch a nationwide campaign to bead the world’s longest necklace.

Under the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records, along with the generosity of a  New York bead company, TPP will attempt to exceed the standing record of 355 feet. People wishing to participate in this fundraiser can visit the World’s Longest Beaded Necklace website and donate a dollar per bead. The bead(s) will then be added  to the necklace in their name or in the names of a loved one.  TPP will then record the names of the donors as one of the world record holders. This campaign launched on July 30th and the necklace will be being beaded at headquarters in Forest City, PA until December 31st.

More importantly, this fundraiser will help spread awareness for the need of art therapy programs during this traumatic time in patients’ lives.

Over 40 hospitals locally and nationwide are waiting for TPP’s services.  With the anticipated success of this fundraiser, hundreds more are expected, thus the reason for this national campaign.

Your support will be most welcomed, because as beaders, you all know the therapeutic value of beading.  TPP needs to bead miles of smiles…  So please forward this information to as many people as possible. Thanks for your consideration!  For any additional information please contact TPP’s “bead” headquarters anytime.

“Bead Happy!”