CANCER GALA SLATED FOR FEB. 26

The official theme for the 1994 American Cancer Gala in Cape Girardeau is "discover the secret garden".

Embedded in that theme are seeds of giving, remembering and celebrating the precious gift of life.

"People I care about have had cancer and passed away and there are others who have it now," said Betsy Richey, who is one of the chairpersons for the event, scheduled to take place Saturday. "This is just a really good way to raise money and awareness of the illness while having fun."

Tickets to the event, which are $55 apiece, may be obtained by calling the Cape Girardeau American Cancer office at 334-9197 or the Sikeston American Cancer Society office at 471-1823.

Said Kyle Brost, a gala chairperson and physician in Cape, "Cancer will affect you at some time in your life. A friend of mine died at the age of 21. The memory of that friend has motivated me to work on this gala during times when I might not have wanted to. Just thinking about the people who have passed away keeps you going."

A pre-party and cocktail hour is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the A.C. Brase Arena Building. A dinner, dancing, raffle and auctions will take the event to its 1 a.m. closing time.

Some 50 center floral pieces, which will adorn the tables during the gala, will be sold after the event to sweeten the pot for the Cape chapter of the American Cancer Society. The Gala raises money to support the research, education and patient services of the American Cancer Society locally.

"The gala makes up about 48 percent of the total annual income development for the Cape Girardeau unit of the American Cancer Society," said Greg Deimund, another chairperson for the event.

Net proceeds for the 1992 gala were $45,339 and $56,747 for 1993. Proceeds from this year's gala are expected to exceed the total from 1993.

A silent auction will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. At 8 p.m. there will be a sit-down dinner. At 8:45 p.m. there will be a live auction with items such as a golf cart and mink coat put on the block.

Raffle tickets are $100 each. There will be five winners, with cash prizes of $5,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third, fourth and fifth place.

"You don't have to spend $100," said J. Fred Waltz, who is heading this year's raffle. "You could go in with a friend and split the winnings. With 125 tickets already sold and 400 plus in attendance, your chances are pretty good that you'll win something."

Said Sarah Holt, co-chairperson for the dinner-dance,"There is going to be an adult elegance about the evening that we've never had before. When you walk into the Arena Building, you'll see this incredible garden with a fabulous effect of flowers."

Entertainment for the event will be provided by "The Tams" and "14 Karat Gold".