Statement From Rev. Earl E. Nance, Jr., Chair Emeritus, Heatupstlouis.org — $406,000.00 Raised So far, TODAY! 18th Annual Hardee’s Rise ‘N Shine For Heat — A RECORD-BREAKER 33% Increase SO FAR

(February 9, 2018) 675 Missouri and Illinois volunteer greeters, Hardee’s biscuit makers, and crew and the generosity of area donors, gives significant proud in announcing preliminary fundraising results for the 18th Annual Hardee’s Rise ‘N Shine for Heat fundraiser, which benefited Heatupstlouis.org. For $1.00 donation, the public received a free Sausage ‘N Egg or Egg biscuit, and well as participated in other fundraising in-store activities.

On Friday, February 9 with the dramatic thrust of the St. Louis media; Hardee’s customers, donors and volunteer efforts, so far, Rise ‘N Shine for Heatupstlouis.org (#heatupstl @heatupstl) has raised about $406,000, which exceeds our 2017 final results by 33%.  In 2017, our final was $303,000, but the 2018 $406,000, so far as of today is still growing. Hardee’s is keeping up its collection canister only, all weekend long, through Sunday night, asking its customers and the public to drop by additional donations. The public can still go securely online to Heatupstlouis.org to make a donation this weekend. As Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, our public safety chair said earlier today, “Heatupstlouis.org has proven to save lives, to keep Missouri and Illinois residents from avoiding unsafe methods of heating, during the cold weather.”

The cold weather has hit extremely hard this winter, tripling the demands for Heatupstlouis in about 15 Missouri and Illinois counties and the City of St. Louis.  Our area region’s needy, senior and disabled people need to keep their utilities connected to avoid unsafe and unhealthy issues.

Apparently, the public and Hardee’s customers have felt a need to come out in droves and help their needy neighbors — over-crowding many drive-thrus and dining rooms like never before in Missouri and Illinois. Unfortunately, we will not have a final report from Hardee’s MO/IL, until earlier next week.  But so far, $406,000 is beyond our wildest expectation.

By the way thanks to the media, #Heatupstl and @Heatupstl were among the top trenders, earlier today.

Thank you, St. Louis media for saving lives, keeping seniors, disabled and low-income neighbors safe and healthy with primary heating. Heatupstlouis.org has already scheduled its 19th Annual Hardee’s Rise ‘N Shine for Heat fundraiser for February 15, 2019