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TEAMING UP TO HELP CHILDREN: FALL FANTASY FESTIVAL BENEFITS POSHARD FOUNDATION, KICKS OFF 'PAT'S KIDS' FUND-RAISER

BY JIM MUIR
THE SOUTHERN

Sunday, November 21, 2004 7:38 AM CST

CARTERVILLE -- A large and enthusiastic crowd of more than 700 people turned out Saturday night at John A. Logan College for the sixth annual Fall Fantasy Festival, a popular fund-raising event that benefits the Poshard Foundation.

Founded in 1999 by former U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard, the Poshard Foundation assists agencies and child advocacy centers throughout Southern Illinois that deal with child abuse.

Over the past five years, the Poshard Foundation has provided more than $1.1 million for underprivileged children.

The annual event also serves as the unofficial kickoff for one of the area's largest fund-raisers for abused kids. Pat Benton, who was unable to attend the event this year, will team with Poshard once again to raise funds that will provide Christmas for hundreds of area youngsters, known affectionately as "Pat's Kids."

Benton, a popular morning disc jockey on WUEZ-FM (Magic 95.1), once again has a growing Christmas shopping list that contains the names of more than 600 underprivileged children from throughout Southern Illinois.

Poshard said Benton and other media outlets have created "a voice for children" at Christmas time.

"It's a tremendous help and a voice that we didn't have before, particularly for the children during this time of year," Poshard said. "Pat's Kids has given us a totally new dimension in reaching children who need our help."

Poshard said while progress is being made, the need continues to get greater each year.

"The abuse is what gets worse every year," Poshard said. "If you combine the methamphetamine crisis we have with the lower economic problems we have, it's just explosive on the lives of kids."

Poshard served as master of ceremonies during the event that also featured a dinner, silent auction and disbursement of nearly $50,000 in funds to more than a dozen different agencies located throughout Southern Illinois.

Benton reads letters written by abused children on his program each morning and added that the fund-raising event is unique to any other in the area.

"People think that the Poshard Foundation is a political fund-raising thing, but it's not," Benton said. "This foundation is totally dedicated to stamping out child abuse and all proceeds are used for that cause. Nobody receives a salary and there are no other expenses  everything goes to help these kids."

Benton said he also was taken aback by the number of the children's letters -- and the increase from last year to this year -- that referred to sexual and physical abuse.

"The most heartbreaking part of this has been the letters where kids say that they want a day free of violence, a day where they feel safe," Benton said. "Most of us can't comprehend living in a world like that, but these kids live in it every day. Every kid deserves a good Christmas, that's what this is all about."

The event skyrocketed in 2002 when Benton teamed for the first time with Poshard and the Poshard Foundation to formulate a plan to help disadvantaged children. Through the foundation, 30 families throughout the region were targeted in 2002 and Benton and Poshard set a modest goal of $3,000, or $100 per family.

However, when Southern Illinois residents heard of the plight of "Pat's Kids," $53,000 was collected. Beginning with that goal of helping 30 families, last year's effort helped raise more than $80,000 to provide help to more than 600 children.

Anybody who wants to make a donation to help the needy children in Southern Illinois can make checks payable to the Poshard Foundation and mail to:

Pat's Kids

WUEZ Magic 95.1

1431 Country Aire Road, Carterville, IL, 62918.

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