$65,000 RAISED TODAY FOR 7TH ANNUAL HARDEE’S RISE AND SHINE

$65,000 RAISED TODAY FOR 7TH ANNUAL HARDEE’S RISE AND SHINE

Helping Area Seniors, The Disabled and Needy With Winter Heating Bills

Due to Cold Weather Hardee’s Keeps Up Canisters All Weekend Long!

The seventh annual Hardee’s Rise and Shine for Heat-Up St. Louis project, the largest annual fundraiser for the regional, not-for-profit, non-utility energy assistance charity raised more than $65,000 up from $50,000 from last winter. Due to the severe cold weather this year, Hardee’s is keeping up this weekend, it’s canister collection efforts only, in all of the stores for additional public donations.

Almost 55,000 made-from-scratch Hardee’s Sausage and Egg Biscuits were sold this Friday 6:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at St. Louis area Hardee’s restaurants in Missouri and Illinois with about $10,000 in small donations gathered by 350 volunteers. The charity services about 16 Missouri and Illinois counties, including the City of St. Louis. The consistent cold weather is hiking up utility bills, making them not affordable for many needy families. The Hardee’s in Crestwood received a sandwich order for 500 sausage and egg biscuits.

This year the majority of the electronic media participated road-block somewhere in the morning breakfast time frame. Hardee’s officials said that those locations mostly reported double increases from last winter.

“We are shocked beyond believe that the St. Louis region opened the hearts and pocket to help less fortunate neighbors, said Kevin McGowan, chair, McGowan/Walsh, and board president-elect of Heat-Up St. Louis. “These are tough times and we appreciate the generosity of the volunteers, media, Hardee’s, and it’s dedicated customer based.” Also leading area volunteers this year were, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, honorary board chair, St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa, Dr. James Knight, vascular surgeon, and co-chair of Heat-Up Health and Safety Committee, St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George, and Melanie Dileo, vice president of Citigroup and board chairwoman of Heat-Up St. Louis will lead the area volunteers.

Heat-Up St. Louis, a regional safety-net project began six years ago, and has received more than $2 million in public and private donations and helped more than 80,000 people.

Larger donations still may be sent to: Heat-Up St. Louis, c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188, or the secured website at www.heatupstlouis.org.

100% of all donations go towards servicing the needs of the area needy households, as all expenses are underwritten by a 45-member, all volunteer board of directors. Special Heat-up grants range in price from $50 to $600 and are applied for through a network of more than 13 area social service and community action agencies.

Anyone requiring assistance must call the Heat-Up St. Louis automated hotline at 314-241-7668. A senior or disabled person on a poverty-level fixed income, and needy families with households at or below the poverty line, may potentially qualify for energy assistance. Many area needy residents can obtain a one-time heat grant when their primary heating source is threatened or already shut-off from November through May, each year.