`AIR OF ENTHUSIASM' FOR READING YELL GOAL

YELL funding created "an air of enthusiasm and excitement" for one grant recipient last fall, and organizers hope that mood will continue for all recipients this year.

Volunteers will be out in full force today in Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Scott City to sell special YELL (Youth, Education, Literacy and Learning) editions to benefit local literacy programs and the Southeast Missourian's Newspapers in Education initiative.

This is the sixth annual YELL drive.

"It's going to be an exciting campaign," said Frank Ellis, chairman of this year's YELL campaign. "We have a lot of community organizations as well as students from Southeast Missouri State University working with us. I'm hoping that this will be one of the biggest campaigns ever."

All of the funds raised will go toward programs in the communities where they were collected, Ellis said.

"Cape Girardeau's money stays in Cape Girardeau and you can see where it's going. Jackson's money stays in Jackson. Scott City's money stays in Scott City," he said. "They will see firsthand that the money is being spent on their children."

Organizers expect to raise about $20,000 this year, said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the local chapter of the United Way. The Area Wide United Way processes all YELL grant applications.

"We sell out every year and we expect to this year," she said.

Half of the funds raised will go to programs in the three communities and the other half will go to the Southeast Missourian's Newspapers in Education program, Jernigan said.

Jernigan said she's impressed by the scope of the grant recipients.

"There are a bunch of them out there," she said. "There were 12 different groups that received funds from YELL last year. Every bit of the funds went for computers and books and a lot of good stuff."

Val Tuschhoff, coordinator of Jackson's YELL campaign, estimates 80 to 100 volunteers will be stationed around the city today to hawk papers.

"I think we've got all of the major street corners covered," she said.

Last year, Tuschhoff concentrated on delivering papers to volunteers rather than selling them herself.

"I may have somebody else do that this year so I can get out there and sell," she said. "I have a lot of fun doing that."

Tuschhoff said she likes knowing the funds stay in the community.

"Here in Jackson all of the schools have gotten grants, and both libraries have too," she said.