THREE LEFT STANDING AS CONTEST ENDS WEEK

Three contestants remain in a regional standathon that began a week ago and is drawing nationwide attention.

As of 4 p.m. Friday, one contestant remained at each of three sites -- Alton Square in Alton, Ill., Gannon Plaza in Festus and Warrenton Outlet Center in Warrenton. Cape Girardeau's last contestant dropped out Thursday.

The contest, sponsored by 1st Stop Inc. Mobile Home Centers, began at 7 p.m. Aug. 27.

"We never thought it would go this long," said Dan Smithson, owner of 1st Stop Inc.

Because contestants can only take four 15-minutes breaks in each 24-hour period of the contest, those still standing are doing so on a maximum of seven hours sleep over a seven-day period. James Walsh, Ph.D., executive director and senior scientist with the Unity Sleep Medicine and Research Center in Chesterfield, said Thursday the longest stretch without sleep on record is 11 days.

Smithson said his company has received calls from as far away as Fairbanks, Alaska, after CNN began reporting on the contest earlier this week.

The winner of the contest will receive a $60,000 mobile home or $25,000.

The standathon is raising money for Gateway to a Cure, an organization that funds research and services for those with spinal cord injuries.