More Than 500 Volunteers Will Help Heat-A- Home, Shaking Their Cans & Aprons During 26TH Annual Hardee’s “Rise and Shine For Heat Day” Benefit, Friday, February 13th – YOUR LUCKY DAY, During Breakfast

Patrick E. Smith, Sr., chairman and president Ameren Illinois; Robert Holmes, chairman and CEO, Commerce Bank – St. Louis (MO/IL); St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith, and Megan Willis, SVP of Operations, Capstone Restaurants (Hardee’s MO/IL franchisee). They are the Honorary Chairs for Rise and Shine for Heat Benefit 2026.

Since its inception almost also 26 years ago, Heatupstlouis.org has partnered with the local Hardee’s restaurants in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area. “It’s Your Lucky Day” campaign is already underway with a bulk Pre-Order on-line campaign where area clubs, charities, companies, and civic groups are able to purchase 20 or more Sausage biscuits or Egg biscuits at a special price of $1.00 each via HeatupStlouis.Org online only and then pick-up product within 24 hours daily. That special fundraiser ends on Thursday, at Noon on February 12. 2026.

It is Hardee’s “Rise and Shine for Heat Day” phase two of “It’s your Lucky Day,” on Friday, February 13, Valentine’s Day eve during breakfast hours of 6-10:30 a.m., at area participating Hardee’s in Illinois and Missouri. Ameren, Commerce Bank and Hardee’s are corporate sponsors and Spire is a co-sponsor. Hardee’s has continued to donate for the past 26 years, its egg biscuit and sausage biscuit products to the charitable cause. So, 100% of those proceeds will go to Heatupstlouis.org and its Illinois and Missouri partners. Hardee’s is also donating its product and Ameren and Commerce Bank are underwriting the cost of the collection aprons, etc.

Meanwhile the general public can drop off a dollar or more and receive a Hardee’s made-from-scratch sausage biscuit or egg biscuit for one dollar each on Friday, the 13th – “Your Lucky Day.” While purchasing the produce from Hardee’s team members, area volunteers will be spread throughout Hardee’s, in the St. Louis region taking up extra dough (tips) including cash or checks payable to the charity. 100% of all combined funds collected that day would go to Heatupstlouis.Org. and its partnering Illinois and Missouri charities 

The St. Louis local media is invited to do live news breaks with many federal, state, and local newsmakers, who many are volunteers and board members of Heatupstlouis.org. After Friday, February 13, 2026, (Your Lucky Day) Hardee’s will continue to take canister donations, QR scans from canisters and in-store Hardee’s P.O.P; and round-up donations throughout the day of Monday, February 16. Those combined efforts along with major check presentations from area entities combined will go towards the overall results. Both Ameren, Spire, Affordable Housing Trust fund, Anthem and Commerce Bank and others will also be making significant contributions during Rise and Shine Day.

Heat-Up St. Louis has impacted the lives of more than 1.9 million people throughout Missouri and Illinois. Hardee’s annual regionwide fundraiser alone has raised more than $7.1 million from substantial grants, and from the sales of Hardee’s sausage biscuits and egg biscuits. Since its inception the HUSTL charity has received in donations of more than $52 million. The not-for-profit, public education and advocacy charity also has taken note that need knows no geographic boundaries.

January 2026 has been bitter cold. This extreme weather has driven-up utility usage. This is causing many families and individuals on fixed incomes, seniors and the physically disabled and now the working middle class to cut back on necessities. When usage becomes abnormally high, so does utility bills. Some families have been on utility budget billing from the previous summer. 

Extreme weather, Inflation, and affordability and those who had experienced home damage because of a large group of 2025 tornadoes in Missouri are still struggling with utility bills. The cost of natural gas and electricity is still a challenge for some area households. Heatupstlouis.org works with Ameren and Spire Energy to help change the landscape related to affordability with aggressive positive utility programs to keep down the cost of their monthly utility bills. For many families and individuals those efforts are still not enough. 

In addition, hundreds of heads of households may not qualify for federal funds or may need additional fundings. That where’s the annual Hardee’s Rise and Shine donors come in because there are less application barriers. 

The economy and weather conditions are so turbulent these days, Heatupstlouis.Org fear more families sliding off the safety net to borderline homelessness or emotional despair. The high demand for utility assistance since the previous winter months has risen to almost 59% of an increase in demand versus this current heating season, so far. 

100% of all proceeds will stay in the communities where funds were collected to keep neighbors in need warm, for instance in the bi-state area, as far away as Jefferson, St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike, and Warren counties in Missouri, and Madison, Bond, and St. Clair counties in Illinois and other Missouri counties, including St. Louis County, and the City of St. Louis. 

“This annual Hardee’s Rise and Shine resources have become an economic lifeline. This is why it is so important to ensure that funds from this event are bundled with other funding sources, to help drive down extremely high energy bills,” said HUSTL Board President Ben Turec.

“Wintertime has the highest incidents of home and apartment fires because some people attempt to use unsafe methods of heating their homes,” said St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, and chair of the Safety Committee at Heatupstlouis.org, also representing the Fire Chiefs Association of Greater St. Louis. “It is important to work with the utilities and us and keep your primary home heating source connected, especially during the extreme weather where temperature hit some very outrageously dangerous lows.”

Area civic, business, religious, first-responders, media and civic leaders have been invited to contribute to this year’s event; and serve as community hosts at area participating Hardee’s shaking their canisters. People with various affiliations with local groups are encouraged to volunteer and sign-up only at Heatupstlouis.Org.  This volunteer recruitment ends Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

Throughout the year, the public can always drop by any area Commerce Bank and make a check or money order payable check to Heat-Up St. Louis, Inc. and online at Heatupstlouis.org. The 63 all-volunteer board of directors underwrite all administration costs, so all public donations go directly to servicing the needy of Missouri and Illinois residents, who qualify.