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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2005

CONTACT:
Trish Blair, (573) 874-0268
Rick Rowden, (573) 442-6272

New salt campaign seeks to provide solution for sister city

	COLUMBIA -- Supporters hope a fourth campaign will sprinkle the
final seasoning on efforts to provide a sustainable supply of iodized
salt for Columbia's sister city of Kutaisi, Georgia.
	Mayor Darwin Hindman will serve as honorary chairman of Salt
Solution 2005, with fund-raising events taking place throughout April.
	Past campaigns focused on purchasing and shipping iodized salt
to Kutaisi, where no affordable supply had been available in more than a
decade. The 2005 drive will seek a long-term solution, opening a plant
that will allow the Georgians to import iodized salt inexpensively in
bulk and repackage it for individual distribution at a minimal cost.
	"Our organization's chapter in Georgia has identified a
building suitable for the repacking plant, and with our help, the
citizens of our sister city will be able to move toward self-sufficiency
in providing iodized salt to its families," said Trish Blair,
president of A Call To Serve-International, the nonprofit group leading
the drive.
	Children with iodine deficiency are at greater risk of
contracting goiter and suffering from developmental and neurological
problems such as mental retardation. Before the first Columbia Cares for
Kutaisi campaign in 2001, more than half of that city's children had
been diagnosed with goiter. The affected population now is down to 28
percent, Blair said.

	The drive's goal of $100,000 will be designated to address
long-term needs by:
upgrading the repacking facility to meet food-grade health standards,
including setting up an iodine testing lab

purchasing salt repacking machines

procuring and delivering bulk salt

purchasing bags in which to package the salt

hiring and training personnel to package salt

buying a vehicle to transport the salt

	The drive's kick-off event will be April 1. In addition to A
Call To Serve and the city of Columbia, major campaign sponsors include
the Parkade Center, Orthman Conveying Systems, MU Greek Week 2005,
Cumulus Broadcasting/KFRU 1400 AM, Country Kitchen and Deanna and Barry
Pryor.

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