Hardee’s Rise and Shine Rolls In The Dough For Area Needy People Without Heating

This year’s annual Hardee’s Rise and Shine for Heat 2005 Fundraiser has a  Valentine’s Weekend theme of “Have a Heart, Heat A Home,” and is scheduled for Friday, February 11, between 6:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at area Hardee’s restaurants in Missouri and Illinois.  However, this year, Hardee’s is extending the canister collection portion of the annual fundraiser through 2:00 p.m.

Hardee’s Celebrity Host volunteers from various fire departments, including civic, business, political and media persons, will Rise and Shine for Heat to help needy families, the elderly and disabled with their delinquent energy bills.

The volunteer Hosts will meet and greet customers in the dining room and drive-thru, and ask Hardee’s customers for donations, while wearing Hardee’s Rise and Shine pocket aprons. In addition, there will be coin canisters on the front counters of more than 70 area Hardee’s restaurants.

Last year, the Hardee’s Rise and Shine project raised about $40,000 in donations. 100% of all donations go toward helping the needy, as all expenses are underwritten. The charity is also encouraging area civic, and business groups to pre-order in bulk, the breakfast sandwiches through the local Hardee’s General Manager.

Hardee’s is also donating its Sausage and Egg biscuit sandwiches by selling them for the special price of $1.00, and the entire proceeds will benefit Heat-Up St. Louis. This nonprofit organization distributes funds in the form of heating grants to area social service and community action organizations, who qualify needy people for energy assistance in an effort to pay their home heating bills in sixteen counties of Missouri and Illinois.

“People are really hurting this year with the high costs of natural gas, and home heating oil, and many are forced to make a choice between eating and heating their homes,” says Dr. James Knight, vice chair of the board of directors of the regional energy assistance not-for-profit charity.

This year, the Fire Chiefs Association of Greater St. Louis has endorsed Heat-Up St. Louis because of its public awareness campaign  of encouraging residents to avoid unsafe methods of heating their homes.  Heat-Up St. Louis officials note that people often use a space heater as a primary source of home heating, and they should used them only as a supplemental heating source.

For those who cannot participate in the Rise and Shine Fundraiser, they may send a tax-deductible donation to: Heat-Up St. Louis, c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188, or use charge cards through the secured website at www.heatupstlouis.org.

“We are pleased to help area needy families in an effort to stay safe, healthy and warm each winter,” says Steve Lemley, general campaign chairman and vice president of field marketing for Hardee’s. “The elderly and disabled people on fixed incomes are balancing their budgets with high prescription, grocery, rent and utility bills.  This is a great time for neighbors to ‘Have A Heart and Heat A Home’.”

People requiring energy assistance, or utility counseling should call the Heat-Up St. Louis Resource Hotline at 314-241-7668. Heat-Up St. Louis also works with area social service and community action agencies as the regional safety net to help qualify those in need of energy assistance and utility counseling, etc.