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The Downtown LaGrange Development Authority presented a check to Harmony House on Friday for the proceeds from their annual Holiday Sip & Shop.

Harmony House Executive Director Michele Bedingfield accepted a $1,500 check from the DLDA for the money raised from the annual holiday fundraiser outside the Chamber of Commerce on Friday afternoon.

The Holiday Sip and Shop is traditionally held on the Friday night before Thanksgiving week. Each year downtown merchants keep their shops open late for the wine tasting to offer festive gifts and holiday decor for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Lily Hamilton, of the DLDA, said Harmony House was an easy choice to be the beneficiary of this year’s Holiday Sip and Shop.

“I thought it was a good call as it is something that we all can support,” Hamilton said. “They truly make a difference.”

Hamilton said it’s the tenth year that DLDA has hosted the Holliday Sip & Shop.

Harmony House is a state-certified emergency shelter for the victims of domestic violence.

The shelter has been in operation since February 2005. The shelter serves the victims of domestic violence 24 hours a day, seven days a week by providing emergency shelter, crisis intervention and advocacy.

Bedingfield said donations like the $1,500 provided by the DLDA are especially important for their efforts to serve domestic violence victims in Troup County.

Many of the funds that the shelter receives through donations or grants each year are earmarked and are limited to be used on specific needs. She said that unrestricted donations like this are really helpful because they can be used for anything, whether it’s an unexpected need of a victim or just paying the power bill.

“They really keep the lights on,” Bedingfield said.