Remembering the very young.

• Position: NEWS

Byline: Ellie Oleson

COLUMN: TELEGRAM & GAZETTE SANTA

The youngest victims of the massacre in Newtown, Conn., were remembered again this week through a donation to the Telegram & Gazette Santa Fund in their memory from the owner and the beaders at the Tatnuck Bead Company, 1099 Pleasant St., Worcester.

Diane J. MacDonald, shop owner, said, "Most of the beaders here are mothers or grandmothers like me. We were all deeply touched by the loss of all those precious angels. We wanted to do something in their memory to help other children."

She holds beading contests four times each year, and decided that this quarter's event would be a Christmas ornament-making contest. Ornaments entered were sold at the store, with all proceeds donated to the T&G Santa Fund.

The winning ornament was created by beader Michelle Kasouf, who created a pink decoration with a breast cancer-awareness theme. The glass globe ornament contained a pink bird and was decorated with pink beads.

Her Tatnuck Bead Company, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, offers a huge selection of beads, pendants, charms, findings, stringing materials and tools for making jewelry. There are also finished pieces, books, magazines and a selection of other items for sale.

Ms. MacDonald also hosts workshops, from Scout programs for earning jewelry badges to an introduction to beading or more advanced classes in flat spiral work.

The shop also hosts parties, from adult beading parties to "Pizza and Beads" children's events at the store or in the home.

"We support various charities throughout the year. This Christmas, we wanted to support the T&G Santa," Mrs. MacDonald said.

"I'm a mother of five and I have nine grandchildren. Donating to needy children in memory of those beautiful little angels lost in Connecticut seemed best this year."

In its 74th year, the T&G Santa Fund collects thousands of donations from generous readers and area residents to help buy toys .

Anyone who wishes to contribute to the fund can do so by clipping and filling out the form in the newspaper and mailing it to Telegram & Gazette Santa Fund, c/o Commerce Bank, P.O. Box 15204, Worcester, MA 01615-0204 or by going online to www.telegram.com/santa to donate by credit card.

PREVIOUS BALANCE$103,152.95

CONTRIBUTIONS

Santa's Helper$300

Pakachoag Elementary School grades 3-5, Auburn, MA$181.48

The UMMHC Immunology mmunoassay Lab$180

Third Grade Students at the North Street School, Grafton, MA$150.50

Santa's...