HEART ASSOCIATION PLANS TELEPARTY SUNDAY

A "teleparty" campaign will be held Sunday to raise money for the American Heart Association.

The telephone solicitation effort is the first of five monthly fund-raising campaigns by the heart association's Cape Girardeau County affiliate.

Joe Low, president of the local affiliate, said the goal of the fund-raising projects combined is to raise $50,000.

"We will have a fundraiser a month through May. This is our January fundraiser for the American Heart Association," said Low.

The theme for Sunday's event is "Heart to Heart for Health and Hope." It will consist of four teams of five people. The teams will compete against each other in an effort to raise money for the heart association. The fund drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the competing teams using a bank of telephones in the administrative suite at St. Francis Medical Center.

The four teams consist of public officials and members of the Rotary, Optimists and Lions clubs.

In all, each team will solicit funds for two hours. Low said the teams will compete against each other to see which can raise the most money.

Winners of the first round will compete against each other, while the "losing" teams will compete in a consolation round, Low said.

Teams will also be allowed a bonus, which involves soliciting pledges prior to the start of the fundraiser.

"We're hoping that each team will raise at least $1,000 and the competition will generate interest in gathering more than that," said Low.

There will be awards and prizes given out to the competing teams. "The idea here is for the participants to have a good time as well as raise money for the American Heart Association," he said.

"We tried to put it in a format where it wasn't grueling and make it as painless as possible.

"All of us are reluctant to ask for money. This way, it makes it a little more of a game," said Low.

The money raised goes to the heart association's state office. But much of it is returned to the local area in the form of various heart association programs, he said.

In addition to the "teleparty," other fund-raising events include the "Jump Rope for Heart" and residential fund drives in February, a "Hang Your Heart" drive involving the sale of cardboard hearts in March, a golf tournament in April and a "Home Is Where the Heart Is" dinner party fundraiser in May.

"We've got hearts all over the place," said Low.