Spread Joy this Season to those in need with "The Merrie Christmas Project."
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.2 • 8.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 December 2021
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Merrie Kaplan loved Christmas. Born with a rare genetic conditions, Williams Syndrome, Merrie was known as a friendly, outgoing woman, who brought joy to all. Now, her memory has given birth to an effort to extend that joy to families throughout Central Georgia’s 14-county area. ‘The MERRIE Christmas Project,’ aims to provide gifts, holiday décor, and food to families in need during the Christmas season.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
- Mike and Nancy Kaplan, Merrie's parents
- Jaime Kaplan, Director of Philanthropy, United Way of Central Georgia
- George McCanless, President and CEO, United Way of Central Georgia
United Way of Central Georgia is accepting donations for ‘The MERRIE Christmas Project’ here.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:13.1 | Mike and Nancy Kaplan, along with United Way of Central Georgia, |
| 0:18.9 | announced the Merry Christmas Project in honor of Mary's |
| 0:21.9 | Love for Christmas. |
| 0:23.6 | Miss her. |
| 0:25.6 | Miss her. And again, like I said, I'm blessed. I truly am. Blessed with her. |
| 0:34.6 | Now the day goes by that Mike and Nancy are not thinking about their daughter. |
| 0:38.3 | Our whole life was centered around this precious jewel that we had for a while. |
| 0:42.3 | And I want other people to experience it. |
| 0:45.3 | I really do from everything that's in me. |
| 0:49.3 | I always used to say that she was like one of the Avengers. |
| 0:53.3 | She had superpowers instead of disabilities. |
| 0:56.7 | I always said she had abilities because she had a super heart that was big enough for a place |
| 1:01.6 | for everybody and made everybody feel like they had a place in her heart. |
| 1:06.4 | Well, you know, after seeing a world of crime and murder and mayhem, it takes a lot to bring me to tears. |
| 1:14.8 | But those words of this wonderful mother and father, who even though they no longer have their beautiful girl Mary, |
| 1:24.4 | have somehow turned her life, her existence, her joy, her exuberance for |
| 1:30.8 | living into something that matters in this world. I'm Nancy Grace. This is crime stories, |
| 1:38.1 | and I have such a story for you today is the story of Mary, M-E-R-R-I-E. |
| 1:47.5 | And with me, my longtime friend, Jamie Kaplan, Director of Philanthropy, United Way, Central |
| 1:52.9 | Georgia, George McCannis, President, CEO of United Way Central Georgia, and special guest, |
| 1:59.6 | Nancy and Mike Kaplan, father and mother of Mary. |
... |
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