Sela Ward Pledges To Help Miss.

Actress Sela Ward says the most important benefit she's gained from her celebrity is a platform for helping others.

Ward, star of the TV drama ``Once and Again,'' has pledged to continue using her professional contacts to help her native state of Mississippi.

She was praised Thursday by the Mississippi Legislature for her efforts to expand a residential home for neglected and abandoned children in Meridian.

Ward was joined at ceremonies in the Senate and House by her husband, Los Angeles businessman Howard Sherman, their two children and family members from Meridian, where she grew up.

Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck said the Emmy-winning actress deserves ``recognition for the size of her heart. She is truly a driving force behind the Hope for Children, a residential home for children.''

``I pledge to you that as long as this window of celebrity is open for me - and one day it will close - I am committed to using my access to help Mississippi,'' the 44-year-old actress said.

Ward secured a $1.5 million grant with help from the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

``Meridian will house a state-of-the-art campus, where everything is under one umbrella. You'll have permanent housing, emergency shelters, therapeutic centers for counseling,'' she said.__Yahoo Entertainment (February 23, 2001)