ANNUAL BENEFIT, GALA ON TAP FOR SATURDAY

What began as a small event 10 years ago has turned into the largest annual fund-raising event for the American Cancer Society in Cape Girardeau County.

The 9th annual gala will be held Saturday at the Show Me Center. It begins with cocktails in area homes at 6:30 p.m. and concludes with dinner, an auction and a dance at the Show Me Center.

The American Cancer Society Gala makes the public aware of the disease. But people get to dress up and have fun at the same time, said Kim Pickett, area director for the American Cancer Society.

"It's a formal event that a lot of people enjoy, but its also for a good cause," Pickett said. "It's also one of the most visible events."

As the biggest social event in Cape Girardeau, the black-tie gala has become a signature event for the American Cancer Society. Each year, a different theme for the evening is chosen.

In the past, guests have spent an evening on the Mediterranean, the river and along Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

The theme for the second gala in 1988 was "Dr. Zhivago's Winter Carnival." So event chairmen gathered before the planning and watched the movie, said Don Dennington, who co-chaired the event.

A castle cutout was illuminated from behind the stage and dry ice helped set the scene indoors, but a wet snowfall earlier that day really created the mood.

"It's something I'll never forget," Dennington said. "That afternoon it started snowing and we went berserk thinking that people wouldn't come."

But by that evening, all the snow had melted off the roads and covered the trees and ground. "It looked like a winter wonderland," Dennington said.

The weather won't help set the mood for this year's gala, unless it's hot and steamy. The 1996 theme, "A Night on the Nile," will take guests to the land of pyramids and pharaohs.

During the gala, guests can participate in a silent auction and raffle.

Tickets for the raffle cost $100, but groups can purchase one ticket and share the winnings.

First prize is 50 percent of the proceeds, which should be about $5,000. Second prize is $2,000 and third prize is $1,000.

At least 200 tickets will be sold. For more information or to buy a ticket, call Doug Sloan at 335-3316 or 339-1420 or call the American Cancer Society office at 334-9197.

Last year, the gala raised more than $50,000 through the silent auction and raffle. In Missouri, volunteers raised more than $6,375,000 for the cancer society in 1995. This year's goal is to raise $60,000 locally.

Most of the money raised will help fund the local chapter of the Cancer Society.

About half the money is used to fund research and cancer prevention projects. Only 6 percent is used to pay administration costs.

HOW MONEY IS SPENT

Here's how each dollar raised from the annual American Cancer Society gala is spent:

Research

24 cents

Prevention Detection and Treatment

24 cents

Patient Services

21 cents

Fund raising

25 cents

Management and general expenses

6 percent