TORCH RELAY NOMINATING RUNNERS

Although there are still 100 days until the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay begins, local runners are being selected to carry the flame as it passes through Cape Girardeau County.

The local Community Heroes torch bearers, a program sponsored by the United Way, will be announced Feb. 15.

Beginning later this week, residents in Missouri and Illinois can begin nominating people as torch bearers for the "Share the Spirit" program, sponsored by Coca-Cola.

The nominations are being accepted by KEZS-FM 103 in Cape Girardeau. The last day to send a nomination to the station is March 11.

More than 10,000 torch bearers will be selected nationwide to carry the Olympic flame through the Community Heroes program. It is sponsored locally by the Area Wide United Way, 1838 Broadway.

The torch relay begins April 27 in Los Angeles and will pass through Cape Girardeau and Jackson on May 27, which is Memorial Day weekend. It arrives in Cape Girardeau via train.

Torch Bearers carry the flame for about one kilometer. As it passes through the country, most Americans will be within a two-hour drive of the route. The Olympic Games start July 19 in Atlanta.

And while the Community Heroes are carrying the flame on its 84-day journey across the United States, they will be joined by runners sponsored by Coca-Cola's program.

The "Share the Spirit" program, sponsored by Coca-Cola, involves selections made by local bottlers and media promoters, said a spokesman for the company.

Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the Area Wide United Way, said the programs will run simultaneously, which will give the runners a chance to rest during the journey.

About 25 people from Southeast Missouri were chosen to represent the community by the panel of judges. The Area Wide United Way coordinated the judging process for the Community Heroes program.