Contact: Rickey Jones
Phone: 323/777-1523
Online: www.kwanzaalights.com
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CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT FOR FIRST ELECTRIC KWANZAA KINARA
“Sesame Street’s Elmo Says No to Fire at Kwanzaa”

Los Angeles, CA (December 2006) - Inventor Rickey Jones announced the launch of the first commercially available electric Kwanzaa candle holder. These UL approvedlight fixtures, manufactured by Essential Time Company, are available online and aredesigned to bring safety-as well as holiday joy to this important celebration. Who elsethinks that this is a good idea? None other than the beloved Muppet character Elmo, who will be showcasing this product in an upcoming home holiday video.

Celebrating it’s 40th year, Kwanzaa is the seven-day holiday celebration that begins onDecember 26th and focuses on African-American families, communities and culture. Asin other holidays there’s a centerpiece which distinguishes Kwanzaa from all otherholidays - the Kwanzaa Kinara. This candle holder or Kinara as it is called in Swahili,holds 7 candles or Mishumaa Saba in Swahili, is used to mark the 7 principles ofKwanzaa. A joyous celebration can quickly turn tragic should one of these candles beleft unattended or placed to close to flammable materials. The Electric Kinaraeliminates the dangers of open fire yet gives the full beauty of a lit candle.

This year Elmo, the loveable Muppet character of Sesame Street's Elmo's world, willshowcase the electric Kinara in his latest holiday home video while educating aboutcultural holidays without the use of live fire.

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to serve as a positive way to educate peopleof all nationalities” said Jones. “Our Kwanzaa products foster community building principles while strengthening our African-heritage, which brings people together tocelebrate diversity”.

About the Inventor:

Invented by an African-American in the spirit of Kuumba (creativity) Rickey Jones setout to create a Kinara that was safe for his young daughter to get the full understandingof Kwanzaa without the use of open flames. His thought was, while he was away fromhome his young daughter might try to light the Kinara's wax candles withoutsupervision.

As a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) the company’s owner of 10 years started out creating unique lighting for the Kwanzaa holiday about 5 years ago with theintroduction of the first black, red, and green (Pan African colors) lighting stringappropriately called Kwanzaa Lights. It was an immediate hit with local neighbors andfriends, so Jones started manufacturing and selling the Kwanzaa lighting string underthe US Trademark” The Original Kwanzaa Lights”.

The National Candle Association reports that inattention to a burning candle is thegreatest cause of candle fires. Candles are responsible for an estimated 23,600residential structure fires each year and cause 1,525 civilian injuries, 165 fatalities, and$390 million in direct property loss. "Typically, the dangers of candle fires occur in thehome around the winter holiday season" said Jones.

Rickey Jones designed the Electric Kinara with safety and beauty in mind. Thefunctional lamps, in the Electric Kinara can be removed or inserted to highlight theKwanzaa principle being observed.

Kwanzaa merchandising now accounts for a growing portion of holiday sales, it hastaken root - along - side Christmas - in more and more African-American households.What seems to be happening in many communities is that Blacks are continuing tocelebrate Christmas with an overlay of Kwanzaa cards, observances, and events.

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