Wendell August Forge Creates Ornament Honoring Notre Dame, Proceeds Go To Rebuilding

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GROVE CITY, Pa. (KDKA) -- A local gift store that once experienced its own devastating fire has devised a plan to help rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The metalsmiths at Wendell August Forge, an artisan gift store in Grove City, have created a special ornament to honor Notre Dame -- and its proceeds will go to rebuilding the historic structure.

The store says its goal is to raise more than $1 million for the cathedral. Wendell August says some of the proceeds will also benefit the three churches destroyed by arson in Louisiana.

The store's reasons for aiding efforts to rebuild are personal. Nearly 10 years ago, Wendell August Forge caught fire and burned down.

"It struck an emotional chord with me," the store's president, Christian Werner, said of the church fires in a press release. "I've literally recalled the days when our plant began to burn. Our job as humans is to take our own life experiences and help others."

Each ornament is $20. Pre-orders will be available starting April 23; shipping begins June 1.