Greta Clawelle, Peggy Redus McCree, Earl Wilson Jr., Priscilla Harris, Marie Hampton, Jacqueline Scott and Delores Ware enjoyed the recent St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation Kick Off reception at the Millennium Hotel. This year’s football game will feature Kentucky State University and Tuskegee University at the Edward Jones Dome on Saturday, September 26. Ticket sales help support the foundation and its scholarship program which funds full, four-year college scholarships for deserving youth in the greater St. Louis area. Tickets may be purchased at TicketMaster outlets, the Gateway Classic office and by calling 314-621-1994. Advance ticket prices are $15, $22 and $30.
Back-to-school flu precautions
As children head back to school – especially with the presence of the new H1N1 flu virus – the Saint Louis County Department of Health is reminding parents and guardians how best to avoid the flu, and what to do if they or their children come down with the flu:
• Cover your mouth whenever you sneeze or cough.
• Wash your hands regularly, especially after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.
• If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth as much as possible; wash your hands if you do touch them.
• Keep a distance of at least three feet between you and other people.
If you or your children do get sick, go home and stay home. It is important that you distance yourself from other people – even people within your own family – in order to keep your contact with others to a minimum.
It is also a good idea to keep a supply of essentials on hand this season so that if you or your children do become sick, you won’t need to make a trip to the store.
Children should be kept out of school until any illness has passed. Once their fever has broken, they should still be kept at home until they can maintain a normal temperature for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever reducing medicine.
For more information, visit www.stlouisco.com/doh or www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.
Veteran transport program needs help
Volunteers and donations are needed for the Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans Transportation Program to drive sick and disabled veterans to and from VA medical facilities for treatment. Veterans may live great distances from VA hospitals and because many exist on small, fixed incomes, the VA says veterans may go without medical treatment or skimp on food and other necessities to pay for transportation.
Currently, van routes operate in St. Louis, St. Charles and Troy, Missouri, and in Belleville, Staunton and Jerseyville in Illinois. The VA wants to purchase additional vans to expand transportation to Montgomery County, Illinois and Desoto, Mo. For more information, call 314-289-6443.
Pattonville seeks tutors
Pattonville is seeking older adult volunteers who can spend up to one hour a week tutoring a student in kindergarten through third grade through Pattonville’s OASIS tutoring program. Tutors help children with language skills. A free, two-day training session and background checks are required of all tutors. Pattonville will offer training from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 and 25 at the Pattonville Learning Center, 11097 St. Charles Rock Rd. in St. Ann. To volunteer or for more information, call Supriya Deshpande at (314) 213-8025.