“Hearts For Healing” Fundraiser During Valentine Season To Benefit Hospitalized Children.

Gatlinburg, TN, February 9, 2007 - When a 17-year old Gatlinburg-Pittman High School student was simply pondering how she might participate in a community service project to help hospitalized children, she was soon compelled by her own creativity to devise a special way of raising donations during the Valentine season. “Children need to know that people care about and love them”, said Julia Cecere. “So, what better way to express that feeling than through giving from our hearts.” But first Julia had to come up with a catchy fundraising theme that would inspire others to get involved in helping her chosen cause too. After spending just a few hours brainstorming, her unique “Hearts for Healing” campaign was born. “I picked East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to receive the donations because it was pretty close to my home in Sevier County. I felt that I might have even met some of those kids before”, Cecere said. Excited to test her idea and start collecting donations right away, she shared her vision with Rick Saracen, the District Manager of Stop‘n Save Food Marts, a Citgo convenience store chain located in Sevier County. He immediately agreed to help. As part of her fundraising plan, customers at several of those Citgo stores are being asked to add a $1 dollar donation to their purchases. After giving, they are allowed to write their name on one of the colorful heart-shaped cut-outs that Julia has created - which the stores are posting in public view on their windows, walls and check-out counters during the month of February. Most good ideas are infectious, and Julia’s program is no different. She has since inspired her friend Jordan Privett to get involved in the program too. Jordan began collecting donations at Pigeon Forge High School (where she attends) and convinced the Scrapbook Superstore in Sevierville to support the effort. They hope other people and retailers will join them. Recently, Julia and Jordan have been invited by Mary Sue Greiner, ETCH Director of Annual Giving, to give the donations they’ve raised to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital during an upcoming Radiothon on Star 102.1, which takes place at West Town Mall on March 1st and 2nd from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. “It’s very fulfilling to know people are caring enough to get involved and to see all the hearts going up at the stores,” said Cecere. For more information about contributing to or participating in the “Hearts for Healing” program, interested parties may contact Julia through her parents Al & Gretchen Cecere at 865-654-4411.