Dublin, Georgia

 Natalie and Will Curry are some of our best friends.  I have known Natalie since she was about eight years old in LaGrange, Georgia, where I worked with her mother in the school system.

I performed Natalie and Will’s wedding ceremony and they come to Ocracoke to vacation each summer.

Natalie and Will live in Will’s home town of Dublin, Georgia, where Natalie is the owner of Smith’s Jewelers in Dublin, an old store that has been in business more than 100 years and to which she has given new life under her ownership.

Most years I travel to Dublin for a storytelling performance sponsored by Smith’s.  The tickets are free but they have to be picked up at the jewelry store!

One of the most outstanding things about Natalie’s business is that she shares a significant amount of profit with non-profit agencies in the Dublin area. Their is sharing at the end of each quarter and the last quarter of each year the profit sharing is devoted to the Salvation Army for family Christmas needs.

My performance this year was the presentation time for this gift and an additional occasion for people to donate to the Salvation Army.

My performance is always in the old Carnegie Library building in downtown Dublin, a lovely historic building now used for events.

At the end of the Christmas Story performance, Natalie presented the store’s check to Charika Todd of the Salvation Army.  The great surprise was the amount of $5,000.00, more than doubling last year’s gift.

We are very proud of Natalie for the wonderful example of kind generosity her business sets for everyone.