Proceeds from home tour benefit LFCS

About 700 sponsorships and ticket sales from

The 19th annual Holiday Home Tour raised $22,000 for Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri's Southeast Missouri office. Regional development officer Melody Anderson said the recent tour raised about $5,000 more than last year's fund-raising tour.

Anderson chooses area homes that are outstanding in some way. A 7,000-square-foot mansion and a home with a bathtub that fills from the ceiling are the types of attractions that homes on this year's tour had. A big draw last year was the boat house on Highland Avenue. "A lot of people knew about that house and came on the tour just to see it, but this year more money was raised from increased sponsorship because our sponsors know more about the work LFCS does," she said.

This year's tour included the homes of Ken and Sharon Mueller, Richard and Debbie Galemore, Stan and Sandi Williams, Mike and Tina Schumer, Dennis and Joan Roth and Ben Rickard. Corporate sponsors included The Bank of Missouri, Bi-State Convenience Stores, Patrick Furniture, Realty Executives, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Kenco, Ultimate Flooring, Quality Carwash, Saturn, California Homes and the Southeast Missourian.

"We are grateful to all of our sponsors and the people who attended the tour. The funds we raised will support the many programs we offer to Southeast Missouri families," said Anderson.

Lutheran Family and Children's Services' area office provides senior counseling, domestic and international adoption, crisis pregnancy counseling, parenting classes, an Alzheimer's support group, an abstinence-only education program and teen mentoring services to Southeast Missouri.

With offices in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield, Lutheran Family and Children's Services touches the lives of more than 22,000 people annually. Its services are open to everyone regardless of race, faith, national origin, gender or age. More than 80 percent of families served are not Lutheran. For more information, visit www.lfcsmo.org.