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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Trish Blair - (573) 874-0268 or Rick Rowden - (573) 442-6272

Public event to kick off final salt campaign Friday

COLUMBIA, MO (March 31, 2005) -- Members of the Columbia Cares for
Kutaisi Committee and other supporters will gather Friday to open a
fourth and final campaign seeking a long-term solution for providing
iodized salt to Columbia's sister city in the country of Georgia.

The public is invited to attend the launch event, which will be at 10
a.m. at Shelter Insurance Gardens. Speakers will include Mayor Darwin
Hindman, who serves as honorary chairman of Salt Solution 2005, and
Trish Blair, M.D., president of A Call To Serve-International, the
nonprofit group leading the drive.

Unlike previous campaigns, which sought to purchase and ship iodized
salt to Kutaisi (pronounced koo-TIE-see), the 2005 drive's major goal
is to set up a facility that will allow the Georgians to import and
repackage less expensive bulk salt into small bags suitable for
distribution to families.

"The people of Kutaisi are independently minded and want to become
more self-sufficient," Blair said. "But most of all, they want to
see their children grow up healthy and happy so that they can build a
successful future for their country." 

Iodine deficiency can lead to goiter as well as developmental and
neurological problems, and may result in infants being born with mental
retardation. Before the first Columbia IODIZED salt campaign in 2001,
more than half of Kutaisi's children had been diagnosed with iodine
deficiency disease. Thanks to local efforts, 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 a building to meet food-grade health standards for repacking,
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 
In addition to ACTS and the city of Columbia, campaign sponsors include
lead sponsor Parkade Center, and Orthman Conveying Systems, MU Greek
Week 2005, Cumulus Broadcasting/KFRU 1400 AM, the Add Sheet, Country
Kitchen, and Deena and Barry Pryor.

For more information, visit www.acalltoserve.org or call the ACTS
office at 874-0268. Credit card donations are accepted online.

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