Melissa Gilbert Donates Autographed Chair back for Premier Auction

The premier of the movie, “When We Last Spoke” is tomorrow night at the Ritz Theatre and one of the stars is making a special donatioin to benefit the Open Arms Clinic in Toccoa.

Melissa Gilbert, who plays “Ruby” in the film and Rick Eldridge of Reelworks

Studios have donated the signed and dated back cover of Gilbert’s director’s chair for a fundraiser to benefit Open Arms Clinic.

Open Arms Clinic is a nonprofit medical clinic  that provides free medical care to the indigent and working poor of Stephens County.

Toccoa- Stephens County Chamber Executive Director Julie Paysen said the piece will be auction off this weekend.

“At the cast party she signed and dated it and then donated it to our Open Arms Clinic. Troupe’s Studio has generously framed it and it will be a wonderful keepsake for someone; whoever is the winner of the silent auction they are holding this week,” Paysen said.

Open Arms Clinic is holding a Facebook silent auction through this afternoon at 5pm and will also hold individual auctions at each movie showing.

Then on Monday, there will be a bid-off between the highest bidders from Face Book and each movie showing, and the winner will get to take home the autographed chair back.

But that isn’t the only charity that the movie studio is donating to, according to Paysen.

“A very unexpected benefit to our community from this premier of ‘When We Last Spoke,’ is that the Executive Producer and owner of Reelworks Studios, Rick Eldridge has generously offered to donate some of the proceeds to a local charity, the Hope Center of Toccoa,” Paysen noted.

Paysen the studio was very grateful for the help they received from folks at the Hope Center and wanted to express their appreciation.

Meantime, Paysen said all of the tickets for the 7p showing Thursday of “When We Last Spoke” have been sold out, but tickets are still available for the 9:15 showing, as well as the showings this weekend.

To purchase tickets you can stop by the Chamber office through Friday or purchase the at the box office.