Actress and children's welfare advocate Jane Seymour is the keynote speaker at Ferris State University's Foundation for Excellence Benefit.

The Big Rapids school is holding the event starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the JW Marriott Hotel in nearby Grand Rapids.

The Ferris Foundation handles the university's endowment funds. Proceeds from the benefit support the Foundation for Excellence Scholarship program, Exceptional Merit Grants program and other activities.

Seymour played the lead role in the TV series "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and has acted in many movies, including "Live and Let Die," "Somewhere in Time" and "Wedding Crashers."