The Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes Foundation’s second annual Celebrity Gift Wrap and Fundraiser came to a close this weekend, ending its three-week run at the Mall at Stone Crest in Lithonia, GA, just east of Atlanta.
Celebrity volunteers Case, Donnell Jones, Slim of the group 112, Ronnie Devoe, Jagged Edge and others were on hand from 3-5pm on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 23), serving as the exclusive gift wrappers at the Mall.
Previous volunteers for the LLF event, which was sponsored in part by Macy’s and U.N.Eye, included Dem Franchize Boyz, Shawty Lo, designer Mychael Knight, former NY Giant Chuck Wiley and artist Stuart Weitzman.
Yesterday’s celebrity gift wrapper was none other than TLC group member Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins.
The event was held in honor of group members Lopes, who killed in a car accident while vacationing in the Honduras in 2002.
“Our fans have stood by our side through the best of times and through the most challenging of times,” T-Boz told AllHipHop.com. “Lisa was a very giving person. It’s hard to say that ant part of the year meant more to her than the other, because she gave unconditionally throughout the year. Every day was Christmas with Lisa.”
The LLF Gift Wrapping station continues to offer its services at prices ranging $3 to $8 through The Mall’s closing hours today (December 24).
Proceeds from the LLF Celebrity Gift Wrap will benefit the Lisa Lopes Rural School/Orphanage and the Hogar de Amor Children’s Home in Honduras.
The orphanage and home are built on land owned by Lopes and was the inspiration behind the development of the Lisa Lopes Foundation in 2003, by her mother Wanda Lopes-Colemon, her brother Ronald Lopes and family friend Anashay Murphy.
The foundation, headquartered in Stone Mountain, Georgia, also supports on-going teen programs throughout Dekalb County.
Teens are put through a five step program that includes cultural arts and awareness, healthy lifestyles, financial literacy, career Development, and civic and social responsibility.
“In the past, it bothered me when the focus was only on the negative times that Lisa faced,” T-Boz said. “[Now] more attention is being brought to the positive light that Lisa brought to millions in the world. Lisa lived her life to the fullest. She lived life for herself and didn’t focus on what others thought. I truly admired that about her.” For more information, visit www.lisalopesfoundation.org.
