Southwest Illinois News - East St. Louis, Illinois

MetroLink Brings Viability to East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS (Dec. 2) MetroLink Stations at Emerson Park, Hall Park and Washington Park brings accessibility and visibility to new East St. Louis development projects. Southwest Illinois Business News

'Open Airway for Schools' for Grade School Kids
EAST ST. LOUIS (Oct 27) - This Thursday, Oct 29, the American Lung Association will team up with Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville's School of Nursing to offer grade school children in East St. Louis and Brooklyn important information about asthma and asthma prevention. The program, Open Airway for Schools, is a nationwide effort by the the Association.

Asthma is the leading cause for absenteeism in schools and the number one reason children are rushed to the emergency room. "The number of deaths from asthma among blacks is about four times greater than among whites, so inner city residents may have extra asthma factors placing them at higher risks for severe attacks," said Robert C. Strunk, M.D. Dr. Strunk is a professor of pediatrics and an asthma specialist at Washington University School of Medicine and an American Lung Association volunteer.

"Seven out of 10 pediatric emergency room admissions at St. Mary's hospital are respiratory related," said Anthony D. Vinson Sr., American Lung Association Lung Health Coordinator for East St. Louis and Brooklyn. "If controlled properly, asthma should not reach the point of requiring emergency medical attention. Our goal is to teach children how to manage their asthma and thereby reduce attacks and the costs associated with emergency care."

Twenty grade schools in East St. Louis and Brooklyn already have completed the program. The Open Airways for Schools program will begin this Thursday at Lovejoy Elementary, Morrison Elementary and Mandela Elementary in Brooklyn, and will continue for the next four Thursdays. For more information, call (618) 271-LUNG.

JJK Youth Center Is a Dream Come True
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center

by Bob Moore, SLFP
© 1998, Saint Louis Front Page

EAST ST. LOUIS (Oct 7) - "This is something that I have dreamed about and so many people have played a significant role in making this become a reality," said Olympic Gold Medalist and East St. Louis native, Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the ground breaking on the new 40,000 square-foot Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center. The Center will be located on 37 acres near Interstate 64 and 25th Street in the heart of East St. Louis.

"I wanted to give the kids a place to go where they could further their education as well as expose them to athletics or arts and crafts," said Joyner-Kersee. Under the auspices of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the JJK Youth Center Foundation will provide and administer a recreational, educational and cultural center for the youth of East St. Louis. The center will have computer rooms, tutorial rooms, a library, music room and areas for weight lifting, gymnastics and martial arts. In addition, a 13,000-square-foot gymnasium will include two high school-size basketball courts that can be converted to a collegiate-size court.

The facility is estimated at costing $6 million to build with an additional $6 million for operating costs. Corporate donations, including $1 million each from Anheuser-Busch, Monsanto and The State of Illinois, have surpassed the $8.4 million mark.

In 1989, Joyner-Kersee established her Community Foundation to provide scholarships to worthy students and honor urban community leaders. As a way of giving back to her hometown, the JJK Youth Center will also coordinate total community effort to emphasize existing programs and initiate new programs.

She noted that Martin Mathews of the Mathews-Dickey Boys' Club in St. Louis had been instrumental with this project. "He has really been a mentor to me. When they were doing their building, they wanted to name the new gymnasium after me and I have gone over there to help out with their programs. He has been a strong component in bringing this to a reality," she said. "I am very fortunate to have been blessed."

The JJK Youth Center will be located near the new Hall Station MetroLink extension making it accessible to younsters throughout East St. Louis.

See updated story on the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys & Girls Club

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