YELL ACHIEVES RECORD NUMBERS

Withstanding gusting winds and defying impending rains, more than 200 volunteers stood at intersections, in front of stores and at local businesses Tuesday morning, hawking newspapers for the benefit of Youth, Education, Learning and Literacy YELL.

"We really look forward to this event," said David Ross, who hawked papers for the West Cape Rotary Club. "You really have a lot of fun once you get out of bed, that is."

Volunteers in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City raised more than $19,200, selling newspapers on street corners from 6:30-10 a.m. The money will be divided evenly between the Southeast Missourian Newspaper in Education program and the United Way, for distribution to education and literacy purposes.

Southeast Missourian publisher Wally Lage witnessed the YELL campaign in action for the first time Tuesday, after moving to the area a few months ago.

"Having worked in the newspaper business for 25 years, I've seen a lot a programs to benefit education through the United Way and Newspaper in Education," said Lage. "I always thought I knew a lot about what it takes to have a good program like this.

"I hadn't really decided how great this program was until I saw the volunteers out there loading up their cars at 5:30 this morning, praying for good weather," he continued. "I was really impressed with how dedicated they all were to this cause."

Lage said he was so taken by the effort, he wrote a letter Tuesday afternoon to his former company in Paducah, Ky., extolling the merits of the YELL program.

The special YELL edition not only featured stories about the kinds of agencies which benefit from the edition, comics and a chance to win instant prizes, but also served as vehicle to expose people who do not regularly subscribe to the Missourian to its new design.

For Jon K. Rust, coordinator of the event, Tuesday morning was the culmination of several months' planning and hard work.

"It was sensational," Rust said.

"Recently we had the flooding, the flood relief telethons and the MDA Telethon on Labor Day where people gave generously," he said. "But the generosity of this community shone brightly today in support of the children and literacy."

The drive generated more money than ever before, despite not selling all the 10,000 copies printed. Last year volunteers sold out by 9 a.m., raising $16,000.

"This year we ended up with about 1,400 copies left over," said Rust. "But what was so encouraging is the corporate sponsors buying up hundreds of the left over papers and donating them to area schools."

In Jackson, street vendors had friendly "competitions" between service clubs, and two individuals competed against each other to see who could raise the most money.

The "John Thompson Rivalry" between John Thompson at Capital Bank and John Thompson at Boatmen's Bank, was won by the latter Thompson this year.

"They really get into this competition here, calling around, campaigning, telling friends to come and buy from them," said Val Tuschhoff, a coordinator for the YELL effort in Jackson. "It makes volunteers get out there and work, and brings out more people to donate money.

"We're just real excited by the response, from our volunteers and from the people buying the newspapers," she said. "It goes to a real good cause."

Graham Wilson, manager of the Sears store in Cape Girardeau sold papers for the first time this year and is now hooked.

"It was great; I had a lot of fun," Wilson said. "I have two kids of my own that read the papers furnished by the NIE programs in the classroom, so this affects me personally.

"It was amazing to see the people drive up to the intersection with their money in hand, or to see their reaction we explained what the paper was for," he said. "This is something people really care about."

John Fidler, president of the St. Francis Medical Center, agreed.

"I think it's a great concept, focusing on the needs of youth and education," Fidler said.

"What impressed me most about the day was the great degree of community cooperation," he continued. "You couldn't cross an intersection today without running into someone selling newspapers."

Fidler, who participated in the program for the first time this year, also lauded YELL's ability to rally the community behind learning and education causes.

"We need more programs like this," he said. "This lays an important cornerstone for education and helps to create a healthy community."

Copies of YELL are still available for $2 at the Southeast Missourian building, at 301 Broadway.