YELL: TUESDAY IS DAY TO HELP FIGHT ILLITERACY IN AREA

On Tuesday morning hundreds of volunteers will be hawking newspapers to motorists, raising money to fight illiteracy and having a lot of fun during YELL for Newspapers.

Money raised goes to the Southeast Missourian's Newspapers in Education (NIE) program and to the Area Wide United Way's special literacy fund.

Craig Felzien, coordinator of the YELL event for the United Way, said, "We're definitely ready."

Felzien, who is also area manager for Southwestern Bell, said this second YELL for Newspapers event has grown in both size and enthusiasm over the inaugural year.

"Last year we estimated we had 180 volunteers help us sell," Felzien said. "This year we have added Scott City, and we think we'll have between 250 to 300 volunteers helping us sell newspapers on the street corners that day.

Over 60 businesses and organizations will be hawking newspapers on street corners. Many organizations are working two, three, four, and even five corners. Eleven fraternities and sororities at Southeast Missouri State University are volunteering their time to sell papers.

"There were some civic organizations the day after last year's event that signed up for their corner and others," said Felzien. "They wanted to stake those claims."

Felzien said the reason for the enthusiasm is twofold.

"It's a blast," Felzien said about hawking newspapers. "It's fun and something you just don't get to do every day."

Plus, the work raises money for a worthwhile cause, he said. "You can't get any more worthwhile than literacy and education.

"Our volunteers are ready to tell people about all the benefits of buying the paper. We can tell them why they should give $2 or $5 for the paper," Felzien said. "It's an improved edition chock full of so much stuff."

Jon Rust and Kim McDowell, who are in charge of the Newspapers in Education program at the newspaper, are coordinating the YELL effort for the Southeast Missourian.

Rust said, "We have a whole new YELL publication this year filled with instant prizes, tremendous value coupons, a comic book, and a chance for some really big prizes.

"The section will be 32 pages filled with reading and literacy tips, information on each United Way agency, terrific ads and coupons plus the entire Tuesday Southeast Missourian newspaper.

"The advertisements in the publication are very informative," Rust said. "There are tips to parents on books that are good to read aloud and different exercises families can do with reading, basic information on literacy and illiteracy."

Each edition includes a comic book, compliments of VIP Industries, which has donated 12,000 comic books to the YELL effort.

Hillary Schmittzehe of VIP Industries said: "It's a good program, and the comic-book people are interested in literary and youth. Comic books are a good means to get messages to young people and old people, too."

Schmittzehe said the YELL event is a natural for VIP Industries to support.

"Our primary business is serving the disabled and handicapped," he said. "That includes people with a lack of reading skills. Anything we can do to get better reading skills for them is important.

"Reading is basic; you can't do anything if you can't read, and you can do anything you want if you can read. No matter what you want to do, someone has written a book on it," said Schmittzehe.

All money generated through the YELL publication goes directly to literacy efforts.

"We've already had calls from people looking for the money," said Dorothy Klein, executive director of the Area Wide United Way. The United Way distributes money in the form of grants.

"I think everyone is excited and looking forward to the second annual YELL for Newspapers," Klein said. "It's a project that so many different age groups seems to be involved in and excited about. Volunteers really can put in a worthwhile service in just a couple hours, and I think the fact that the customers they come in contact with are all happy and eager to get a paper helps. It's not a hard sell at all."

The other half of proceeds help fund the Newspapers in Education program. Each day the Southeast Missourian delivers an average of 2,900 newspapers to 60 area schools at no cost to them. Teachers use the newspapers in a multitude of ways, from studying current events and economics to mathematics and art.

Rust said, "The number of newspapers we can provide is determined by the amount of community support advertising and purchases of the YELL newspaper."

Rust said the NIE program costs about $120,000 to operate. The Missourian provides 67 percent of the cost of the program.

"This is our one shot in the year when we seek support in the community to help provide newspapers to area students," said Rust.

McDowell said: "We recognize that illiteracy is an economic problem and literacy is the solution. Another name for illiteracy is undereducated. Students who move into adulthood without good reading skills become adults and parents who cannot hold high-paying jobs. They perpetuate their own problems in the children.

"We hope to empower children to stay in school and read that's what YELL is about."

Last year 7,000 YELL edition newspapers were printed and quickly sold out. This year 10,000 editions will be printed and sold in Cape Girardeau and Scott City. "We expect them to sell out just as quickly and enthusiastically this year," McDowell said.

On Tuesday, captains will pick up their newspapers at 6 a.m. and the newspapers will be on the streets before 6:30 a.m. Cybertel is serving as headquarters. Through a mobile phone system, additional newspapers can be delivered as they sell out.

Procter & Gamble, Tri Con and Thorngate have agreed to let YELL newspapers be sold inside the plants between shifts.

"We are planning a victory celebration at AmeriFirst Bank for volunteer sellers," said Rust. "We expect to begin about 8 a.m."

Money will be turned in and counted at the bank. Additional newspapers will be for sale at the bank throughout the day if any are left.

On Wednesday, a special YELL edition of the Cash-Book Journal will be sold by volunteers in Jackson, beginning at 7 a.m.

Rust said, "It's a tremendous testament to the vision of the businesses, civic organizations, volunteers and community that they support YELL the way they do."

Two years ago Felzien approached Southeast Missourian Publisher Gary Rust with the idea of sponsoring the YELL event, drawing on his experiences with similar events in Kansas City and St. Louis.

McDowell said: "Southwestern Bell was our original sponsor. They purchased the caps, aprons and signs last year. This year they are supplying badges and gifts for the volunteers."

Jon Rust said, "Southwestern Bell has really led the way in commitment to youth, education, literacy and learning."