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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1988)
Monday, April 25, 1988/The Battalion/Page 3 State and Local ^fMore than 700 raise about $15,000 or March of Dimes in Walk America Low turnout hampers ‘Hands Across A&M’ Skill-t: ■\ By Lisabeth Rabun Reporter I More than 700 walkers partici pated in the March of Dimes Walk hierica Saturday morning at Cen- Sral Park. The participants — walk ers, runners, bicycle riders and even one toddler in a red wagon pulled by Jer father — raised about $ 15,000 in pledges for the annual event. I Voncille Cassidy, the district di- ector for the March of Dimes, said he walk is going on all over the na tion. ■ Miss Texas A&rM University, Ste phanie Suzanne Smith, and the ■larch of Dimes Central Texas Dis- ■ict’s Poster Child, Roderick Mathis, were on hand to cut the ribbon start ing the event. ■ Mathis, a first-grader from Bearne, was born with spina bifida, ^congenital birth defect character- ||ed by an imperfect closure of part pf the spinal column exposing some [ of the nervous system. His two-year- Idld brother walked with him in the Beginning of the event. ■ The March of Dimes is in its 50th [yt.u of raising money for research- ipg birth defects. Franklin D. Roose- \felt started the organization during ; hb presidency to encourage the Batch to Find a cure for polio, Cas sidy said. A radio announcer ad- (jiessed the American people asking ||adi person to send one dime to the I'Wh.i'e House to fund the research for the cure; hence the name March of Dimes. Once the polio cure was found, the organization diversified ilto researching birth defects. ■ “Locally, Dr. Robert Burghart is doing research on pre-term labor,” 1 Cassidy said. Anyone researching With defects can apply for a grant from the March of Dimes. ■ “We also hand out lots of material th;ii explains birth defects and how to apply for our grants,” she said, ft talso distributes information to the public about discoveries made in the research. ■ One of the participants in the iftdk was Lisa Roop of College Sta tion, who raised about $150. The “I think it’s an important cause. My husband was born with a heart defect and I’m pregnant, so it is important to me. ” — Lisa Roop, participant in Walk America March of Dimes is important to her because she is seven weeks pregnant. “I think it’s an important cause,” Roop explained. “My husband was born with a heart defect and I’m pregnant, so it is important to me.” Cassidy was proud of the walkers’ efforts and the volunteers’ time that combined to make a successful Walk America. Linda Storms, chairman of the lo cal walk, praised the volunteers who helped put the event together, but also commented that it will need more help next year. She thanked REACT for hand ling the communications and secu rity of the course. Texas A&M serv ice fraternity Alpha Phi Omega helped set up and community serv ice fraternity Beta Sigma Phi helped with registration. Volunteers gave out drinks and food donated by several local busi nesses. Water for the walkers was donated by Ambrosia, and Bryan Bottling donated soft drinks, Storms said. At lunchtime volunteers gave away McDonald’s hamburgers. Apples and oranges were donated by grocery stores from Bryan, Col lege Station and Madisonville. One of the volunteers at the soft drink booth was Laura Simms, who walked in the event last year. “I didn’t think my knee would take it this year,” Simms said, “and I just wanted to help.” Simms works in the A&M Athletic Department. As the chairman of the Walk com mittee of eight volunteers. Storm said their organization procedures included setting the course and get Photo by Dav, Brandon J. Plunkett, a student at Henderson Elementary School, gets his ticket punched by March of Dimes volunteer Roy Llanes, to signify his completion of Walk America in Central Park Saturday. id Elmer ting teams from the business com munity. The local 10-mile walk started at Central Park. The participants went north on the bypass to Southwest Parkway and then to Texas Avenue and back to the bypass. A second trip around the course was required for the walkers to complete 10 miles. Rest stops were set up at each mile of the course to provide water and mark the walkers’ cards to show they had completed the entire course. Finish line First, finishing the race in an hour and 15 minutes. The second runner to cross the Finish line was Jeff Welch of College Station. Zimmerman, Welch and several others who ran the course Finished about the same time as those walking completed the First leg. After all the pledges have been collected, awards will be given to the team and the individual who raised the most money, Storms said. The best T-shirt design as determined by the committee members also will be Marvin Zimmerman crossed the given a prize. By Carol Martin Reporter Although the SO people who showed up for “Hands Across A&M” Sunday didn't quite reach across campus, thev were able to col lect 3,000 pounds of food for the needv. Kathv Denton, adviser for “Hands,” said the postponement of the event, which was origin'allv scheduled for April 17, probablv confused people who had planned to participate. Denton said the Student 5' Asso ciation, which sponsored the event along with KKYS-FM radio, was dis appointed with last week's weather. “So much planning went into it,” Denton said, “we hated to have to cancel it. But if anything else, it gave us another week to promote it.” Dave Mendoza, a senior computer science major from Beaumont and public relations chairman for “Hands,” said the event was inspired by Hands Across America held in 1986 to raise food and money for the hungry people in Ethiopia. Mamie Stewart, a freshman aero space engineering major from Dallas and chairman of Hands, said about 3,000 pounds of food were collected. The Texas Aggie Band’s A Bat tery collected the most food and won the pizza party, she said. The pro ceeds will go to the Brazos Food Bank. Barbara Day, director of the food bank, said the food will be delivered to food pantries, which will distrib ute the food to needy people. “It’s (food raised from the event) a major contribution,” Day said, “and we do appreciate it.” Mendoza invited everyone in hearing distance to join hands as John Cougar Mellencamp’s song, “Hand to Hold on To,” blared from speakers set up in front of the Aca demic Building. Participants had a chance to take their picture with Reveille V before the human chain was formed and newly-elected yell leaders led the hand-holders in a yell practice for the A&M baseball team. Everyone ha cl smiles on their faces as they became links in the hu man chain which formed a circle in front of Sully . Participants put the chain in mo tion which caused a few links to break, but the chain was quickly re fastened. Eight-year-old Jill McCallister, a second-grader at College Hills El ementary in College Station, won a Hands Across A&M T-shirt in a ran dom ticket drawing. “I would put it on,” McCallister said, “but I don’t think it would match my shoes. It would make a great dress — maybe it will shrink,” she said. Man working on garage collapses A man working at the parking garage construction site on the Texas A&M campus collapsed Friday afternoon while working on the structure. T im Fickey, chief of the Col lege Station Fire Department, said that at 12:05 p.m. Friday the department got a a call that a man had collapsed on the fifth floor of the garage, which is being built on the north side of campus adja cent to University Drive. The victim was taken to Hu mana Hospital where he was ex amined and treated for possible heat exhaustion, Fickey said. An official at Humana’s emer gency room said no information could be released about the pa tient. Workers at the site said the vic tim collapsed after getting too hot while working. The A&M Department of Me teorology forecast a high temper ature of 86 degrees for Friday. J 'ain't-1 mm Zenith, the most respected name in electronics, eigh teen-wheels to you the big gest event of the year...a truckload sale especially designed with students, faculty, and staff in mind. If you’re in the market for a personal computer or have questions on what one can do for you, Zenith’s truck- load sale is your answer. It’s an opportunity that can’t be missed! Purchasing a computer was never so inexpensive. Come and immediately take advantage of the low est prices ever on personal computers. Now for a lim ited time Laptop PC’s are available at super savings and now, buying an EaZy PC becomes easier than ever on your budget. Hav ing trouble deciding which system would be the most beneficial? Zenith rep resentatives will be holding demonstrations contin uously on all personal com puters, making your choice best suited for your needs. Purchasing a computer was never so easy. Not only will the truckload sale bring you unpreci- dented prices, it allows you instant delivery. Or, if the computer you have in mind is not on the truck, you can place an order right on the spot. Plus for the first time, Zenith Data Systems is now accepting Visa and MasterCard. Purchasing a computer was never so inexpensive, easy, and clearly designed with you in mind. It’s the computer event of the year. The Zenith Truckload sale. Your chance to come and see for yourself why we say “The quality goes in before the name goes on.” Zenith rolls to campus Personal Computer Savings SAVE ON: EaZy PC’s Dual Floppies • 512 Kb RAM • SVz" Drives • Monitor Included $599.00 Hard Disks • Zenith 19" Color Remote TV • 512 Kb RAM • 3Y2" Drives • Monitor Included $1099.00 The Zenith 180 Laptop Series Dual Floppies • 640 Kb RAM • 3 1 /2" Drives was $1399.00 Hard Disks • 640 Kb RAM • SVz" Drives • 20 Mb Hard Disk was $2050 Truckload Sale Price $999.00 Truckload Sale Price $1599.00 With any portable purchase, the HP model 2225 Think Jet Printer is $250.00. Plus Many More The 8088,80286,80386, desk top computer. . . software, printers, and other peripherals. With any computer purchased, the Alps ASP 1000 printer with cable is only $200.00. Parked at the Rudder Fountain! 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