EXTRA! EXTRA! VOLUNTEERS HIT THE STREETS TO SELL SPECIAL YELL EDITION

John Harding and his Cape West Rotary Club sale team members ran out of newspapers during the 1998 sale of YELL, a special edition of the Southeast Missourian Newspaper published annually with proceeds funding literacy efforts in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City.

"We needed more papers," said Harding, who has increased the Rotary Club's draw to 400 for the 1999 event.

A total of 18 Cape West Rotary members sold 300 papers last year at their location at the Cape Rock-Perryville Road location.

"It's a great experience," said Harding, who has been selling YELL newspapers the past six or seven years. "It's fun. We see a lot of the same faces each year."

Harding's group is among the more than 80 groups which help sell the annual publication.

Businessmen, businesswomen, teachers, students, and others got an early start today with their newspaper-selling chores.

The Cape Rock-Perryville location was a good one last year, netting more than $750 for the YELL cause.

YELL newspapers -- 10,000 of them -- normally sell for $2, but in some cases motorists tossed in another buck.

The top-selling location in 1998 was Mount Auburn-Independence intersection, where Bank of America (Nations Bank) sales teams sold 400 newspaper, netting $885.

The Main-Hope intersection provided top sales in Jackson. The location was handled by American Business Women's Association teams, which sold more than 450 newspapers. Debbie Maevers had her teams ready a week ago.

"We look forward to the event every year," said Maevers. "We had fun, even the year it rained."

Cape Girardeau Lions Club members, who man the location at Broadway and Kingshighway, are looking forward to the event. When the Lions Club passed a slip of paper around last week's meeting seeking names for the annual sales of YELL newspapers, the list filled up quickly.

Club spokesmen and team leaders from various businesses agree that "this is a good opportunity for a club or group to get involved in a project together."

It gives members and co-workers an opportunity to roll up their sleeves, put on the special YELL sales apron and work together.

A number of prizes will be awarded to lucky YELL purchasers. Random prizes inside many of the papers include McGwire collectibles, concert tickets, free meals and much more.

The YELL edition itself has stories about literacy efforts under way in the community.

YELL stands for Youth Education Literacy and Learning. Money collected during the one-day fund raising event is used for the Southeast Missourian's Newspaper In Education program. Newspapers are delivered to area classrooms at no cost to schools. In addition, a portion of YELL proceeds will be awarded to local literacy initiatives.

Groups selling YELL:

Cape Girardeau

American Red Cross, Bank of America, Bank of Missouri, Breakfast Evening Optimist, Capaha Bank, Cape Area Vo-Tech, Cape County Rotary, Cape Evening Exchgnge, Cape Evening Lions Club, Cape Girardeau Legal Secretaries, Cape Girardeau Police, Cape Girardeau Public Library, Cape Noon Optimists; Cape West Rotary, Central Junior High, Community Counseling Center, Gibson Recovery Center, Ralston-Purina, Kiwanis Club.

L. J. Schultz Middle School, Lions Club, Mercantile Bank, Notre Dame H.S. and First National Bank;' Otahki Girl Scouts, Professional Men's Club, Renaissance, Republic Women Club, Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau, Schnucks, SEMO Banking Center, Southeast Missourian, Southeast Missouri Recreational Sports, St. Vincent's De Paul School, Trinity Lutheran School, Vision 2000, Salvation Army, Zonta, West Park Mall, Southeast Missourian Front Counter.

Jackson

American Business Women's Association (ABWA), Immaculate Conception School, St. Paul Lutheran School, Jackson Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Public Library, Jackson Senior Center, Jackson Ministerial Alliance, Jackson Rotary Club, Riverside Regional Library, Cape County Rotary, Jackson High School, Jackson Signal Office, Oak Ridge Elementary School.

Gordonville

Southeast Missourian.

Fruitland

Southeast Missourian.

Scott City

Scott City High School.

Riverside Library.

Mark Kneer.

St. Joseph School.

Chaffee

Chaffee High School.