EASTER SEALS RAISES OVER $60,000 AT TELETHON

The Easter Seals Telethon, held Sunday, raised over $60,000, exceeding the goal by $5,000.

Chuck Martin with the local Easter Seals chapter, said when the telethon went off the air at 6 p.m. Sunday the final total was $60,115. The goal had been $55,000.

"We were all surprised," Martin said. "We thought we were really stretching to raise $55,000. But we had just a perfect day and people called.

"Phone pledges were up tremendously from last year, and people called from all over Southeast Missouri."

Some of the money raised is being used to establish a computer resource center at the Easter Seals headquarters here. Martin said because of the telethon's success, the center should be operational within a month.