Support UNICEF through greeting cards, gifts
Crystal snowflakes, topaz pendants and music CDs all support the cause

Many have made sending UNICEF greeting cards, which benefit children the world over, part of their family’s holiday tradition since 1949.

The greeting cards have helped to support UNICEF’s lifesaving work of providing medicine, vaccination, food, education and emergency relief for millions of children around the world.

Now, thanks to the efforts of several dedicated companies, there are even more ways support UNICEF this holiday season.

The French crystal manufacturer Baccarat has created the 2006 UNICEF Snowflake holiday ornament. The ornament is etched with a rendering of the UNICEF Snowflake, an outdoor chandelier made with 16,000 Baccarat crystals that hangs high above the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in New York City during the holidays.

The ornament will be available at Baccarat boutiques and online at www.unicefusa.org and www.baccarat.com.

Actress and UNICEF ambassador Téa Leoni and Italian designer Dino Modolo have collaborated to create 18-karat white gold and topaz pendants that will be sold this holiday season to benefit children worldwide. The necklace will be available for purchase at Di Modolo boutiques, www.dimodolo.com and other fine jewelers. Di Modolo will donate 50 percent of the purchase price to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Ikea is offering a number of soft toys for children of all ages. This year, Ikea will donate $1 from the sale of each soft toy to save children’s lives. Last year, this program generated more than $2.3 million.

For those of a musical mind, Pier 1 is offering a CD featuring popular artists such as India.Arie, Grammy Awardwinner Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and classic hits from Cat Stevens and the Youngbloods. The retailer will donate 25 percent of the purchase price from this CD to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

To spark holiday meals with new flavors, there’s Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s “The Soul of a New Cuisine— Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa.” The New York chef brings Africa’s diverse cuisine to home cooks. Samuelsson is donating 20 percent of all author royalties to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

To learn more, call (800) 4UNICEF or visit the website www.unicefusa.org.

This story provided by North America Precis Syndicate Inc.