This week, the Miss Mississippi Magnolia Belles had the opportunity to ride in a parade, wear pretty dresses and sparkling crowns and perform on stage for a televised production.

But the bright lights of stardom did not blind these young girls from wanting to help other children less fortunate.

On Tuesday, along with their respective Miss Mississippi delegates, they packed close to 200 “busy bags” for foster children.

The bags included everything from coloring books and colors to Barbie dolls to hot wheels to stuffed animals, Laura Gee said.

Gee, a Vicksburg resident who works as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Hinds County, said she calls the bags, “busy bags” because the toys inside can help keep a child occupied while they wait for their turn in court.

“Sometimes they have to wait hours,” Gee said, of the foster children.

The idea For the Magnolia Belles to provide “busy bags” began last year when Miss Mississippi volunteer Jennifer Tillotson reached out to Gee.

“Last year, Jennifer called me and said they really wanted to work with foster children, and she asked if I had any ideas,” Gee said.

As a foster parent herself, Gee said she knew firsthand what it was like to sit for hours in a courtroom or in CPS (Child Protective Service) offices and for a child to not have anything to do — thus, the need for busy bags.

In addition to the Belles making busy bags, Gee also met with them so she could talk about the need for busy bags and answer any questions the young girls asked.

Understanding the life of a foster child, Gee said, was hard for some of the younger Magnolia Belles to grasp.

“They (the Magnolia Belles) wanted to know why the foster children didn’t have toys or why they couldn’t live with their moms and dads,” she said.

In coordination with the Warren County CASA coordinator Michelle McGloster, Gee said she delivered approximately 75 bags here in Vicksburg.

And it didn’t take long for them to be needed.

“One little kid was having a birthday (the day Gee delivered the busy bags) and I was able to hand them a bag and it was just really neat,” she said. “I told Jennifer I wished they (the Magnolia Belles) could have seen the joy on their face.”

Gee also shared how one of the children — a little girl — who, upon finding a stuffed bear in her bag, asked if she could keep it after she left the building.

“I said, ‘Yes baby, it’s yours.’”

The Exchange Club of Vicksburg Child and Parent Center Inc., also known as the CAP Center, partners with CASA of Warren County and Gee said anyone who is interested in making a “busy bag” should reach out to the local organization.