READERS' SUPPORT A KEY TO SUCCESS OF YELL CAMPAIGN

From a cause to promote youth, education, literacy and learning, sprang a local tradition worth shouting about.

Volunteers from various walks of life will be stationed at one of 60 street corners on Tuesday, Sept. 13, to launch the fourth edition of YELL.

Students from Cape Girardeau, Scott City and Jackson will benefit from the program by receiving the Southeast Missourian newspaper on a daily basis throughout the school year.

The YELL edition, which contains articles about the Newspapers In Education program, the Area United Way and the literary efforts of the community will be wrapped around Tuesday's edition of the Southeast Missourian.

The cost of the paper is $2. Half of the money will go toward literacy programs funded by YELL and the United Way. The other half will help fund the Newspapers In Education program, which is also funded by the United Way and YELL.

All 10,000 copies of YELL were sold last year. Nearly $13,000 was raised for Area United Way literacy programs and Newspapers In Education. With your help, it can happen again.

YELL came into existence through a combined effort of the Southeast Missourian and United Way. The United Way approached the Southeast Missourian about sponsoring an Old Newsboy Day similar to those that take place in St. Louis and Kansas City.

"We were interested in funding reading and literacy programs through the United Way, so we asked them to join forces with us and help start a tradition in Cape Girardeau," said YELL committee chairman Kim McDowell.

The Southeast Missourian and United Way did just that, embarking on a literacy day with a 32-page special edition that received award-winning recognition.

The project is designed to further reading and literacy awareness throughout the communities of Cape Girardeau, Scott City and Jackson.

McDowell said there has been such a demand for newspaper subscriptions from area schools that some 8,000 students will benefit from the YELL project.

The special YELL wrap-around edition will include a free, color comic book, the chance for prizes through a lottery and other contest offers.

Businesses that advertise in the special newspaper will be recognized as an official sponsor of the NIE program through complimentary recognition ads. All advertising proceeds go directly to the program, providing more than 2,000 newspapers daily to schools throughout the area.