SHOWCDASE WILL HAVE COUNTRY THEME

The distinctive sound of contemporary country and the distinctive tastes of the area's finest restaurants will come together in November under starry country skies when the Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation hosts its fourth annual Southeast Showcase.

Scheduled Nov. 19 at the Show Me Center, the annual fundraiser showcases food and beverages from more than 35 area restaurants and vendors, and includes lively entertainment.

Last year's event attracted more than 1,400 guests and raised more than $35,000 for patient-area developments at Southeast Missouri Hospital's Regional Heart Center and Regional Cancer Center.

The theme for this year's event, "A Taste of Country," will turn a specially created old west setting into a spirited salute of America's favorite country sounds.

"Each year we try to offer different kinds of entertainment in a unique setting," said Showcase co-chairman Carol Sparkman.

"We're particularly excited about this year's event. Through unique decorations, an up-and-coming Texas musical group and our traditional array of outstanding food Showcase will indeed be a premier event for our area."

Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation Director J. Charles Stotz noted that for the second consecutive year, Ford Groves will serve as corporate sponsor for the event. General sponsors are CyberTel, Rhodes Oil and K103/KZIM.

Headline entertainers for the Showcase will be Lariat, a Texas-based country quartet with a distinctive musical style.

"Lariat imparts its own fiddle-driven flavor to every style of country music," said Showcase entertainment chairperson Nona Chapman. "They're equally comfortable with ballads, rock-a-billy, swing, up-tempo hot tracks and just plain kick-up-your-heels country."

Lariat, which earned a Cashbox Magazine award as Independent Group of the Year, frequently opens for such performers as the Oak Ridge Boys, Sawyer Brown, John Conlee and other top country entertainers.

Stotz said the goal of the hospital foundation is to encourage individuals to become partners in health care. "Through Showcase `92 we're inviting people to be both a partner in health care and a `pardner' in an old-fashioned good time."