Heatupstlouis.org Celebrates Valentine’s Day with its 20th Annual Hardee’s Rise & Shine for Heat Benefit Helping Missouri and Illinois Needy Neighbors Stay Warm
Have A Heart…Heat A Home, This Valentine’s Day Weekend
700 area firefighters, media, social service, business, political and civic leaders and board members of Heatupstlouis.org are preparing to help raise dough and awareness of bi-state area qualified seniors, the physically disabled and low-income neighbors without heat or whose energy bills are delinquent. This year’s 20th anniversary campaign theme is “Have a Heart…Heat A Home.” The event is scheduled on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14th, during breakfast. This year’s goal is $400,000.
The volunteers will be wearing Heat-Up/Hardee’s official 20th anniversary money-pocket aprons and be directing customers to the two Hardee’s offerings of Sausage Biscuits and Egg Biscuits at the special price of $1.00 during breakfast only, on February 14th. The 700 area volunteers, who will be stationed in the drive-thru, dining room and menu boards, will also accept extra donations from Hardee’s patrons. 100% of the morning sales and donations will be used by Heatupstlouis.org and its consortium of social service partners, for all forms of heating assistance.
A “Fill-Up A Canister, Heat A Home” canister collection campaign, at about 50 area Hardee’s locations, will lead up to the benefit event day and end on February 16th. Heatupstlouis.org also invited area businesses to do bulk pre-orders of the two specially priced products at a $1.00 each for their offices. The pre-order deadline is Wednesday, February 12th by 12 Noon.
Heatupstlouis.org officials stressed that this winter, with all of the cold snaps, it has been brutal on the pocketbooks of the entire St. Louis region. In addition, the organization reminds us that utility affordability is a long-term problem for many area residents. Such problems have caused house fires and fatalities because of unsafe methods of heating, due to the use of space heaters as primary, instead of supplemental, heating sources. Having no utilities is also a health and safety issue.
“Heatupstlouis.org helps save lives,” said St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, co-chair of the regional volunteer charity’s Health & Safety Committee. “Wintertime is the most dangerous time for home and apartment fires. It’s important to work with the utilities and keep connected to a primary heating source, and if you need help, contact us via Heatupstlouis.org.” Jenkerson also represents the Fire Chiefs Association of Greater St. Louis.
FOX2, KTVI; KSDK, 5 On Your Side; KMOV, Channel 4, KMOX Radio and other Entercom Group stations; Hubbard Radio, Radio One and I-Heart Media have all agreed to provide live coverage the morning of Friday, February 14. Some will be interviewing newsmakers, who are members of the Heatupstlouis.org board or major donors. Hardee’s and Ameren’s Charitable Trust is underwriting all administrative costs for the Rise & Shine project.
This year’s honorary chairs include: Laurie and Tom Trotter, senior partners with the locally owned Hardee’s restaurant units; Marty Lyons, the new Chairman and President of Ameren Missouri; Richard Mark, Chairman, and President, Ameren Illinois; April Ford Griffin, Executive Director, Affordable Housing Trust Fund; Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Gold Medalist; Tara K. Oglesby, Vice President, Customer Experience, Ameren Missouri; St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann; St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page; St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern; Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson of Fire Chief Association of Greater St. Louis (MO/IL); Dr. Fredrick Echols, Health Director, St. Louis City; Michael P. McMillan, president/CEO of Urban League of Greater St. Louis; Bishop Elijah Hankerson, III, president of Clergy Coalition of Metropolitan; Denise Liebel, board president of Heatupstlouis.org and a children’s services executive; Pamela R. Walker, HUSTL president emeritus and health care expert; St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones; and Reverend Earl E. Nance, Jr., corporate Treasurer and Chair Emeritus.
Since its inception 20 years ago, Heatupstlouis.org and its sister projects have impacted the lives of more than 640,000 people. All administrative costs are underwritten by a 67-member all-volunteer board of directors. The charity now services 44 Missouri and Illinois counties, including the City of St. Louis. Anyone wishing to donate needs to go online to www.Heatupstlouis.org. Any person in need of utility assistance should dial the Heat-Up automated hotlines at 314-657-1599 or 314-241-7668.