Producer and

actor Ted Key delighted Fayette Youth Protection Home supporters with

readings from Christmas classics at the ninth annual benefit dinner.

Nearly 100

patrons were present to hear his rendition of "How the Grinch Stole

Christmas" and "The Night Before Christmas," along with

a different spin on the Nativity, placing the birth of Jesus in Georgia

sometime in the 1930s, taken from his own "Cotton Patch Gospel."

"It was

my pleasure," he said, "to spend the evening with these good

people for this good cause." He has followed the work of the homes

for abused children and donated his time to the fund-raiser.

A report by

Mike Jablonski, former board member for the charity, gave a review of

the activities for the past year and stated that it takes over $300,000

in donations to keep the homes operating. "By Christmas 2001, we

will have served close to 200 children and processed over 1,400 requests

for service," he said. The event raised over $20,000.

Asden Johnson,

president of the Board of Directors, recognized a group of local business

people who are forming a support fund to underwrite events like this one.

The founding members, called the CareCorps, are Bischoff and White PC,

Collier and Associates, Crawford Tool, Bill and Michaele Gatheridge, Dave

C. Lee DMD, PC, Little Ones at Starr's Mill, MidGACourier, Brent Scarbrough

and Co., Robert and Martha Stephenson, Seckinger Design Associates, and

Steve and Robyn Weeman.

The Friday

Home, in northern Fayette County, has been operating since 1989 and the

Johnson Home, in Brooks, is three years old. The combined facilities house

20 children, most of whom are from Fayette County.