CANCER GALA '92 WILL BE `ROLLIN'

"Rollin' Down the River" is the theme of this year's American Cancer Society Gala, scheduled for Feb. 29 at the A.C. Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau.

Jeanette Juden, chairperson of the gala along with her husband Andy, said the featured entertainers will be a group that was a big hit at last year's gala.

"Everyone liked them so much they wanted them to come back this year," Juden said of the E.L.S. Band, an all-female New Orleans-based trio that will headline the gala.

The event is the primary fund raiser of the year for the local American Cancer Society chapter.

More than 300 people are expected to attend the event, Juden said, during which $29,000 worth of donated merchandise will be auctioned.

There also will be five winners in a 50-50 raffle with a minimum of $5,000 going to whoever takes first prize.

"The auction items have been donated by 165 contributors," Juden said. "We'll have both a silent auction and a live auction this year, and anyone who can't attend can send a bid along with a friend who is attending."

Some of the items on the auction block include jewelry, sports memorabilia, artwork, weekend get-a-ways, catered parties, children's items, cosmetics, home furnishings, outdoor packages for sports enthusiasts, a computer, leather bomber jackets, tickets to Cardinal and Missouri Tiger games and a mammogram.

The 50-50 raffle is already a huge success this year, Juden said.

"We're over our minimum ticket sales, so anything we sell now will add to the pool of winnings," she said.

The first-place winner will receive more than $5,000, the second place winner will receive a minimum of $2,000 and three third place winners will receive at least $1,000 each. The amount of money awarded to each winner will increase with ticket sales.

Last year, a car was given away in the raffle, but Juden said a cash raffle was chosen to allow for more than one winner. Raffle tickets cost $100, with $50 going to the Cancer Society.

The E.L.S. Band (Elaine, Lisa and Sharon) got their start as singers in Baptist churches. They formed a singing trio while in Columbia, S.C.

The three choreograph their own dance routines, and specialize in Motown sounds.

Another type of entertainment is new to the gala this year, Juden said. Casino-type entertainment will be available to the public from 7 to 9 p.m. at the gala. The games are for entertainment only and no cash will be won by the players.

Guests to the event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be greeted by Jesse Padgett playing the banjo. The evening also includes cocktail-style dining, catered by Port Cape Girardeau.

Juden said in another effort to raise money for the Cancer Society, two categories of sponsors have been designated; individual sponsors donating $500, and corporate sponsors donating $1,200.

The sponsors will be entertained at a cocktail party on Feb. 14 at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Cozean.

For information on attending the gala or becoming a sponsor, contact Bekki Cook or Juden through the Cancer Society at 334-9197. An invitation will be sent to you.