Cool Down St. Louis Special Fundraising Effort At Busch Stadium Scores $10,000 in Donations and 10 Air-Conditioners And “Shake Our Can” Fundraiser is Extended to Next Tuesday At Area UMB Banks

Cool Down St. Louis, a regional non-profit agency helping the elderly, disabled and critically ill children with their high electric bills and the purchase of air-conditioners, this summer, announced a week ago that it only had about $200 in the bank. Today, the cooling assistance charity announced that the first annual “Shake Our Cans and Cool Down The Needy” special collection held outside of Busch Stadium this past weekend raised more than $10,000 in cash and the group also received 10 used and brand new air-conditioners from several St. Louis Cardinals fans.

More than 100 employees of UMB Bank, Hardee’s and the Pasta House Co. volunteered to accept donations from St. Louis Cardinals fans.  The volunteers were clad in special yellow T-shirts, bearing a number “57” on their left sleeves.

Due to the consistently hot weather this week, UMB Bank also announced that it has extended the “Shake Our Cans” campaign at 19 of its bank centers located in Missouri and Illinois, so that its banking customers, and the general public can continue to drop-off tax-deductible donations through Tuesday, July 9.  Originally the bank had extended the program until this Friday.

“It is a myth that people in the summer time are not greatly impacted as much as those in the winter,” said Earl E. Nance, Jr., vice chairman of the Cool Down St. Louis. “This is far from the truth, because more people die of heat related illness, due to heavy heat being generated by the hot summer sun. Heat is far more deadly.” Cool Down St. Louis officials also noted that there are fewer cooling assistance funding sources in the area, and request that people continue to check on their neighbors and that the needy continue to negotiate with their local electric company.

For those who did not attend the Cardinals games this past weekend, they may send a tax-deductible donation to Cool Down St. Louis, c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188, or donate by charge card through its website at

“We are pleased that the St. Louis Cardinals fans have come out to support our efforts of helping to avoid heat-related deaths and illnesses,” said Reverend Earl E. Nance, Jr.  “The need is tremendous and we hope people continue to give all summer long in the entire St. Louis region.”