We will be working with St. Jude's Hospital again to help provide some entertainment for their kids and draw some attention to the wonderful research that they do there.

Have you ever wanted to be a hero? Did you ever wonder what it would be like to actually be the Paladin in that RPG you were playing and save the day, or someone's life? Or maybe you'd like to have enough money to donate a few grand a year to a good cause. How about doing both at the same time? Check out the info below and call them for an appointment - be a hero.

Calling All Angels!
At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, many patients with catastrophic diseases like leukemia need Apheresis blood products daily. Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows whole blood to be withdrawn from a donor and separated into its component parts with all but the needed component being returned to the donor. The needed blood component, platelets, is then made immediately available to the patient.

Many times during chemotherapy and radiation treatment both cancer cells and healthy cells are destroyed, so patients need transfusions to prevent bleeding or to fight infection. Platelet donations are completely safe and each donation is closely supervised by trained staff who observe the donor throughout the process. The donation does not significantly decrease the number of platelets in the donor's body and the donated platelets are quickly replaced.

Platelet donation takes about two hours. Donors are welcome to watch television or read during the process. With every platelet donation, donors save St. Jude an average of $500. Also, your donation could support a child through a critical time during his or her treatment. A platelet donor is an extraordinary person. When platelet donors are called to donate, they know someone is in critical need of a blood component that only the platelet donor is specially qualified to give. These special blood component donations save lives. If you already donate blood, you know how it feels to be a lifesaver. After all, it's in you to give.

Donating platelets is a great way to help. If you are interested in becoming a platelet donor for the children of St. Jude, please contact Angel Sanders or Kim Stevenson in the Blood Donor Center at (901) 495-2024 to schedule an appointment.

A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle. - Author Unknown

This is the fortheenth year that MidSouthCon is holding an auction for the benefit of Literacy in Memphis and the SFWA emergency fund. This is the eighth year we are supporting the Memphis Literacy Council. All items to be auctioned for charities are on display in the Art Show and will be "on the block" during the Art Auction.

Once again, MidSouthCon is helping the Memphis Literacy Council (902 S. Cooper, Memphis, TN, 38104, phone 327-6000).

Established in 1974, the Memphis Literacy Council is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to offering services to adults seeking to improve their reading and writing abilities. Hundreds of trained volunteers study weekly with adult students in one-to-one tutorial sessions, in small classes, or in computer learning labs. VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) work to supplement the efforts of a small professional staff and a community-oriented board of directors. The Council not only operates its own programs, but assists many other groups who are committed to providing access to effective literacy instruction.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 1 in 5 American adults is functionally illiterate -- that is 20% of the total adult population in this country. This means that they cannot read, write, or perform basic math problems well enough to function effectively in everyday life.

Everyone can play a part in defeating illiteracy. And in turn, experience the satisfaction of helping other people discover whole new lives. Here are ways you can help: volunteer to be a tutor or help teach a small class; volunteer to help with other literacy-related activities; invite the Council to present a program to your board, staff, service club or church group; refer adults to the Council who need help with their basic reading and writing skills; make a tax deductible contribution; spread the word about the program.

MLC is funded by the United Way of Greater Memphis, by City of Memphis' Community Development Program, by individual donations, and by private grants.

The Science Fiction Writers of America Emergency Medical Fund was established to provide financial assistance to professional SF/F writers who have suffered reverses because of medical emergencies, such as incurred by MSC 9's posthumous Guest of Honor, Robert Adams. At MSC 9, we held a benefit auction for the family of Robert Adams to help defray medical costs after a long bout with lymphatic cancer. Since that time, the SFWA Fund was officially established. Pamela Crippen Adams suggested that any items not sold at MSC 9's auction be used to benefit the SFWA Emergency Fund. Since then, we have continued to contribute toward this effort via the auction of special items during the Art Auction.

SFWA uses the Emergency Medical Fund to help members when they find themselves in dire medical straits and insurance turns out not to be enough. It is sad that we live in a world where such problems come to be, but it is made a little easier by the support of science fiction and fantasy fans such as our attendees, who helped us raise $1000 for this fund last year. For more information on this and on SFWA, their website is http://www.sfwa.org.