YELL VOLUNTEERS REPORT A ROUSING GOOD TIME

More than 200 area volunteers gathered at 54 street corners in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City last September and sold YELL editions of the Southeast Missourian to passing motorists.

The newspaper "hawkers," after weeks of planning, sold the newspapers for about three hours, starting at 6 a.m.

More than 10,000 newspapers were purchased at $2 each, and the proceeds were distributed to local literacy grants and the Newspapers In Education program.

Calvin Chapman sells YELLs for the Cape Girardeau Lions Club. He signed on as a volunteer when the program started in 1991 and is among 10 to 15 Lions who sell the papers at Kingshighway and Broadway each year.

"We gather at about 6 in the morning and that's kind of early for some people, but the papers sell well there," said Chapman, adding the Ameritech Cellular provides coffee and rolls.

Chapman said his group "sold quite a few papers last year. We made nearly $800. Each year we usually get the same people together and have a fun morning."

Val Tuschoff has coordinated the YELL effort in Jackson for the past four years. She makes sure volunteers are at about 20 street corners.

"It takes a lot of time planning for the event," Tuschoff said. "People meet on and off in our spare time. And on the day of the sale we have to start early. Everyone has to be in place."

Tuschoff says there are about 20 YELL captains in Jackson, and each captain is joined by three or four "troops" at each corner. About 80 people are involved each year.

"We've gotten the public and Catholic schools involved and both libraries. We look forward to it each year."

Linda Robert, a reading recovery leader-teacher at Clippard Elementary School in Cape, was on the YELL Committee a few years ago. She helped organize the event: "I got people on the corners and cheered them on."

She attended planning meetings and helped decide what prizes to award volunteers. She sold papers one year after being asked by a United Way member who wanted teachers involved.

"I was on the corner right outside of the school," she said. "It was a busy morning."

Ellie Knight of Scott City, director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties, doesn't have problems finding volunteers. She knows senior citizens "who love to hawk those papers."

Knight is the team captain for Scott City and coordinates the campaign at five corners, all of which she describes as being busy with traffic.

"Last year was the best one ever. There were businesses involved and so was the high school. We were able to get a $500 grant for the Riverside Library from the proceeds," she said.

John Blue of Cape Girardeau, a retired newspaper editor, has been a YELL volunteer for many years. He and other members of the Rotary Club are stationed at Southeast Hospital each year.

"We sell quite a few papers," he said. "We sell to hospital employees and to some patients, depending on their condition. It's like being newsboys. It's fun and you have to get up early."

One of the best corners to hawk YELL editions is Independence and Kingshighway, says Dennis Marchi, who has been with the fund-raiser since its inception.

Marchi, manager at Schnuck's, which is near the corner, says between 20 and 25 store employees show up to help.

"We have fun. We get up early and spread the word," he said.

Melvin Gateley, a member of the city's Vision 2000 Community Relations Council has a word for the event: "Fantastic." Gateley says council members meet at Broadway and West End Boulevard each September to hawk the papers.

"We've been delighted to be involved. There's camaraderie and community spirit, and the proceeds go toward literacy programs in the city."

Gateley says 10 to 12 Vision 2000 members help each year. There are three shifts of four people who sell papers in the morning from 6 to 8:30 or 9.

"The first year we really sold the papers fast but since the program has expanded and people are now selling them in subdivisions, we have to hustle a little bit more now."

Mercantile Bank in Cape Girardeau has 12 employees that work the corner of Mount Auburn and Lexington each year. Craig Wells, the bank's executive vice president, says the volunteers enjoy the spirit of the event.

"It promotes teamwork and community involvement and those are things essential in a successful business and a successful community," Wells said. "We are proud to be part of both."

Mercantile, at 3060 William, also serves as the official check-in place for funds raised by the YELL campaign.

Karen Green of Mercantile has been a YELL captain for many years. She says bank employees not selling papers nevertheless assist the effort; they serve refreshments to the "hawkers" and handle the collection of proceeds.

"Volunteers are easy to recruit for this event. Everyone has fun."