200 Volunteers Raised A Record Breaking $20,000 For Needy Families Who Can’t Afford To Pay Their Winter Heating Bills

Immediate Release: (Monday, Oct. 20) Even though the weather was very balmy, St. Louis Rams fans went deep into their pockets and helped area needy families pay their upcoming winter heating bills, beginning in November. This past Sunday before the Rams and Green Bay game area volunteers from CitiMortgage, FOX 2, Hooters Girls, Mozaic Group, and St. Louis Firefighters participated in the annual second Boot Out Old Man Winter and Heat-Up St. Louis fundraiser. The goal was set at $10,000, but the army of volunteers raised $20,000.

All administrative costs are underwritten so that every dime donated goes to helping the needy. This event was mainly underwritten by Citigroup. Pisa Tinoisamoa of the St. Louis Rams served as this year’s honorary chairperson. John Pertzborn, Rocky Madden, Bonita Cornute and John Gaskin were among the volunteers from FOX 2, the only media station personalities who attended.

“Thanks to the generosity of the St. Louis Rams and their fans and all of our sponsors, we were able to exceed our goal,” said St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George. “People realized that with the though economy there is still a need to help pay for those upcoming winter heating bills, despite the nice weather this past Sunday.”

“Winter is a serious time for needy families, because they are dealing with one emergency after another,” says St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George and a member of Heat-Up St. Louis board of directors. “Unfortunately, these emergencies may cause some to use unsafe methods of heating their homes which will endanger them and their surrounding neighbors.”

Heat-Up St. Louis, Inc., is a regional not-for-profit, non-utility energy assistance charity providing supplementary heat grants to elderly and disabled people and low-income families with small children who can not afford to pay for their high delinquent heating bills in the winter, in about 18 Missouri and Illinois counties, including the City of St. Louis.

Those who did not attend the game can still make a tax-deductible donation to Heat-Up St. Louis, Inc., c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, Missouri 63188, or call 314-241-7668.

“There is a tremendous need to help the elderly, disabled and small at-risk children within the St. Louis region stay safe and cool this summer,” says Dr. James Knight, vice president of the board of Cool Down St. Louis. “Summer is also a dangerous time when the needy attempts to stay cool without air-conditioners, so there is a real health and safety issue.”

Cool Down St. Louis announced that Sharon Lee Tucci, president of Talent Plus, Dr. James Knight, a noted vascular surgeon, James H. Buford, president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., and Mary Ann Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Moziac Group have been chosen to as honorary chairpersons for this three-day fundraiser.

The Pasta House Co. Restaurants will serve donated wine for the three days of the showing and benefit, and in addition, on Friday, August 8, Norton’s will serve appetizers.

Norton’s Fine Art & Framing will offer those who attend the benefit showing an opportunity to purchase over 500 original works of art. The pieces are shown by the Edelman Fine Arts, Ltd. of New York.

The exhibit offers many styles of artwork which include oils on canvas, silk screens, lithographs, etchings, serigraphs, engravings, woodcuts, and original hand-blown glass. The subject matter includes Landscapes, Watercolors, Impressionism, Figurative, Still Lifes, and Abstracts, Architectural, Nature Studies, Seascapes, and Florals.

In addition there are rare graphic works by major artists such as Rembrandt, Chagall, Picasso, Peter Max and others. The pieces of artwork range from $30 to $10,000 in price.

Edelman Fine Arts, Ltd. is recognized as one of the leading art distributors in the United States. The artists represented by this firm have shown their works in most major galleries throughout the United States.

Aportion of the proceeds of both art and the framing goes to Cool Down St. Louis, a regional cooling assistance charity helping elderly, disabled and at-risk small children with their electricity bills and the purchase of air-conditioners. The charity works with more than 14 social service and community actions agencies in about 18 counties of Missouri and Illinois, and the City of St. Louis who qualify those seeking cooling assistance. For additional information the public can call Norton’s at 314-367-9917.

Tax deductible donations may always be sent to Cool Down St. Louis, Inc., c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188.

“The AmerenUE settlement from overcharging electric customers has been put to good use. We applaud this program,” says Reverend Earl E. Nance, Jr., vice chairman of the board of directors for Heat-Up St. Louis, Inc. “Unfortunately, it requires a 10 or 20 percent down payment before the arrearages can be paid in full, and in these economic times it’s tough, not only for the needy but for the working poor and working class.” Heat-Up St. Louis officials noted that fewer funds are available during May for energy assistance.

At the AmerenUE press conference, Mayor Francis G. Slay, commended Heat-Up St. Louis officials for the development of their new program, and announced that the City of St. Louis also provided some financial support to the charity.

Reverend Nance, Jr. observed that in parts of Eastern Missouri, gas customers will be left out in the cold, because they use Laclede Gas and other natural gas vendors, who have no such program. Natural gas customers’ usages are higher in the winter months.

Heat-Up St. Louis, Inc. has about $30,000 to distribute in May. It will support some of those qualified electric customers who will need that 10 or 20 percent to participant in the Ameren UE Clean Slate Program. Those qualified individuals requiring a down payment on their electric bills should call the Heat-up St. Louis hotline at 314-241-7668. There will be no administrative fees in the execution of Heat-Up St. Louis’ special heating grants. All donations to Heat-Up St. Louis are 100% tax-deductible, and no administrative costs are used so that every dollar donated goes to the needy.

“If people can have a clean electric slate, it will give them time to do battle with their often high natural gas, propane and home heating oil bills this winter and cooling bills later on this summer,” says Reverend Nance.

The funds will distributed by Heat-Up St. Louis through its agencies as long as the funding lasts.

The bulk of the $25,000 was raised in a matter of several hours through the sale of Hardee’s made-from-scratch Sausage and Egg Biscuit sandwiches during a breakfast fundraiser on Friday, February 14 for Heat-Up St. Louis, a regional energy assistance and advocacy charity that networks with about twelve social service and community action agencies in more than 15 Missouri and Illinois counties, including St. Louis City. About 12,000 Sausage and Egg Biscuits were sold, and the remaining cash came from customers who made additional donations to the volunteers, and through the charity’s UMB Bank Post Office.

Heat-Up St. Louis officials are reminding needy individuals who can not afford to pay their winter heating bills to call the Heat-Up St. Louis, 314-241-7668 for assistance. Also the Cold Weather Rule expires on March 31, and after that day Missouri and Illinois utilities will be permitted to disconnect utility services without special customer protection provisions.

“We continue to get a tremendous amount of calls from needy individuals who are still challenged with this very cold winter weather,” said Reverend Earl E. Nance, Jr., vice chairman of Heat-Up St. Louis. ” With the increase of natural gas prices, and home heating oil prices there is a definite need to help individuals and families, the disabled and elderly keep up with their high home heating bills.” Nance also thanked the Hardee’s customers who braved the cold to participate in the giving process.

Heat-Up St. Louis also credits the local electronic and print media for heightened awareness for this annual event by airing public service announcements, live-remotes and running newspaper articles.

“For the poor, especially the small children and elderly, winter’s cold can be a serious and terrible, life threatening and un-safe experience,” says the Reverend Sammie Jones, newly elected president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition and pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.  “Heat-Up St. Louis serves as an effective safety net for those needy individuals who have exhausted all other options.”

The Reverend Earl E. Nance, Jr., immediate past president of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition and vice chairman of Heat-Up St. Louis notes that this year the charity has changed the program to give all of the congregations an opportunity to adopt at least one family with at least a $250 donation.  The charity plans a 10 weekend drive effort of having religious congregations collect funds, or create a special fundraiser by March 30.  The previous Super Heat-Up St. Louis Weekend efforts raised about $10,000.

“We have noticed a tremendous increase in natural gas and home heating oil prices, and many of our area congregations are also struggling to make ends meet in an effort to pay their own gas and electric bills,” says Reverend Nance, who is also pastor of the Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, and will kick-off the special drive this Super Bowl Weekend. “Donors are being fooled by the fact that the region continues to experience long periods of warm weather, but the recent deep cold snap clearly indicates that we’re in the midst of a very bitter and potentially deathly winter.”

Individuals not attending a place of worship this Super Bowl Weekend and during the next  ten-weekend drive period can send large donations to Heat-Up St. Louis, c/o UMB Bank, P. O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188, or log on the website at   All donations are tax-deductible and should be made by March 30.

Nance believes that proceeds from the ten-week Super Heat-Up Weekend Drive is another productive way of having congregations pool their financial resources in helping restore a home utility source. “People are still paying off their high bills from last year, and with the weakened economy, even many middle income families are facing financial challenges with their heating bills.”

Heat-Up St. Louis officials are estimating that they will counsel, refer or assist more than 8,000 impacted individuals due to disconnections or threats of utility shut-offs when the winter campaign ends on April 29.