Press of Atlantic City from Atlantic City, New Jersey • 12

A12 Press May 25 1986 Atlantic City NJ ROM PAGE ONE 3 iXltt i i Gunther Hands Across America Is A Heartline to The Needy By The Associated Press well 4 until the event is over Each network plans to devote at least three crews to covering the human chain in New York City ABC and CBS said they will also send crews to Los Angeles and Washington DC NBC spokesman Jerry Hanson said his network will shoot from New York Washington Houston Chicago and Los Angeles CNN crews will cover the event By ROBERT BARR Associated Press Writer America line in Coo per River Park There is still room on the buses at $3 per at least 20 million Americans suffer from hunger The organization however plans to spend only 60 percent of its collection for direct emergen cy assistance to individuals and existing programs The rest of the money will be devoted to what it called innovative programs to help the needy help themselves The project provoked some gentle grumbling from establish So you woke this morning with the words of Across ringing in your ears and you looked down at your own hands and asked yourself why they making histo ry? You managed to put it off through the months of television advertisements and radio broad casts So now you roll over to go back to sleep because you think Hands Across America smacked of a publicity stunt and a preposterous one at that If the only point is to stretch an unbro ken line of humanity from sea to shining sea today a good bet to fail On the other hand Millions of dollars have been pledged to relieve hunger and homelessness Waves of volunteers have mo now but could rise to 1000 today getting a lot of calls from she said Saturday or those who decide to join at the last minute organizers will have 10 million pledge envelopes that can be returned at leisure And the pledges stop when participants release hands Sun day Between $25 and $30 million has been pledged and the money keeps coming said Dave ulton a spokesman for organizers here AP Laserphoto One of the homeless in Los Angeles a man named Bernard hangs out socks near the home he and a friend built under a freeway contributions 1 organization USA for process of organizing Africa cited estimates by the events he said has built a mail promoter who was behind last Are the effort for Africa Kragen has talked of raising $50 million or even $100 million with Hands Across America but want to be called a failure if he misses those targets wrong with $10 million? many events in Ameri can history you can only name a handful this past year have raised $10 million at one time for to have more than the 120000 people needed to fill the 88 mile line through the state But Byrne said New Jersey organizers: shared the national worst fear that Hands Across America would be come across afraid that in some areas there will be clusters of people so many that we be able to accommodate the over she said yet in other areas we might have I hate to say the word bare Byrne said that two one mile sections along Route 27 in central New Jersey are badly in need of human hands The first gap is in North Brunswick from the center of the Six Mile Run Creek Bridge to Thomas Avenue and the other is in South Brunswick from Beek man Road to Stanworth Road But in some areas hundreds more people than necessary have pledged for a place in line Byrne said North Arlington recorded the biggest overflow in the state with 800 extra people Other well pop ulated areas include Trenton and Princeton Township each with 600 extra people and New Bruns wick with 566 too many trick is to get them all in the right she said just have everyone take three steps to the south if there are clusters and clumps in one spot or another and ham radio operators tell us there are bare spots in adjoining Ham radio operators helping to coordinate the event in the state and nation and local radio stations will broadcast the signals to get into line At around 2:45 pm EDT with the Wanna Hold Your Hand" playing over portable ra dios participants across the coun try will begin linking up The line will form at 3 pm and continue singing Are the Across and the before dismantling Toretsky said she expected to have approximately 7000 people on her five mile segment and charities believe the emotional ex perience of holding hands is going to be wonderful But the next day there will be people who are hungry who are said Robert Beggan a United Way at 1 pm EDT and continuing vice president and board member with spots from around the nation oi tne federally funded Emergen cy ood and Shelter Program Kragen said Hands Across America was only intended as a further directions once you ar rive It is suggested you bring along a small radio to hear signals for songs and live broadcasts some juice (but not in glass or cans) and a lunch or snacks There should be refreshments along the route but to be sure of eating or drinking it is better to carry your own The chain will begin linking rangements Saturday to ensure that her 23 buses carrying more than 900 people make it up to the Cooper River Park from Shore Mall Pleasantville and Contini Sherwood Caterers Cologne She was stocking up on extra pack ages of juice recording the Hands Across America theme song and making last minute preparations for the event which has been her focus for the past two months going to be she said gives people the opportu nity to do something to help physical not just calling up on the telephone and making a At the northern end of the 12 mile spur from Camden to Cherry Hill the Golden Nugget casino hotel will be busing in approxi mately 1000 people to stock its mile across the Benjamin rank lin Bridge In the state office of Hands Across America in Newark the bedlam that had simmered the past few months was boiling over in the final hours of preparation is absolute pandemoni New Jersey press secretary Emma Byrne said from the head quarters Saturday fAs more than 60 volunteers worked in the office area coordi nators were streaming through to pick up shirts and other sup plies including 26 cases of suntan lotion donated to the event and making other last minute arrangements i The state office with its bank of 20 phones ringing off the hook was described by one reporter as casino floor where every slot machine in the house rang a winner at Byrne said The national toll free number was so overwhelmed they were referring people to the state number she said Volunteers took to the streets of Newark Saturday posting signs along the route and drop ping off leaflets at houses within a few blocks of the route There might be some bare spots on the route across 16 states but probably not in New Jersey Byrne said She said they expect Chort said the Atlantic County Determining the exact total contingent is confirmed at 800 like trying to take a snapshot of the Concorde in night he said National organizer Ken Kragen predicted that half or more of those who get in line will wait until Sunday morning to make up their minds line is infinitely he said continue to take dona tions" ulton said 25th is just the beginning and not the Even the most optimistic pro jections show that there will be some gaps in the line as it crosses desolate areas such as deserts 411 up at around 2:45 pm and should be completed by 3 Before that time there are para chutists and other activities planned at the park 't If you afford to donate you can still come to the or more information staje' officials will man phones up un til the 3 pm linking at 201 877 9750 person according to Atlantic County Coordinator Irene Chort If you want to help as a bus leader be there by 1 1 am Those driving individually who were originally told to park at the race track should park at' the south end of the Cooper Riv too late not At 11:30 am today' 23 buses will begin rolling out of Shore Mall in Pleasantville and the Sherwood Contini Caterers in Cologne to transport more than 900 area residents to their half mile section of the Hands Across er Park in Cherry Hill she said There will be marshals wear ing distinctive shirts and vi sors at all the staging areas for Americans paid $10 or more to I link hands and help combat pov erty Critics have accused Reagan of joining the event to negative reaction to remarkshe 1 made Wednesday attributinghiin ger to lack of knowledge among i some people about government benefits 3 Reagan should be urge? to i honor the event by tritional programs to the elderly 4 Head Start and school 1 Jackson said shouldMmot 4 take a $1 million picture inalO spot while cutting $12 bjypn 3 from the malnourished need leadership thqt will be sensitive to the 80000 family farmers now driven into poverty and malnutrition by government 5 induced prices We must hoi be deceived by humane theme'jike feeding the hungry and the home less then let right wing politics grounds and invited aides Secret Service agents and reporters to grab a hand The hands will be counted to day but adding up the money may take weeks In the frantic days leading up to today Hands Across America organizers stressed that no one had to contribute $10 to stand in they beeinnine In New York for in urged while preparing millions stance he said everyone in line of pledge envelopes to receive will be given information on ways rnpv ran mnrinnurn nnin Still Not Too Late To Join Hands Jesse Jackson Claims Caused by Heagan By United Press International SAN RANCISCO The Rev Jesse Jackson charged Saturday that President role in Hands Across America hurts spirit of the because his policies work against the fight to end hunger and homelessness in America should not be in the line His policies created the Jackson said calling decision to join the cross country human chain deserve a president who will not offer cake prayer clothes flag and glitter as a sub stitute for a sound diet for our Jackson said in a com mencement address to law school graduates at Gooden Gate Uni versity Reagan said riday he had changed his mind and would par ticipate from the North Portico of the White House in fund substitute glitter for government raising event in which millions of Networks Set Extensive Coverage" By The Associated Press in j4ew York Chicago WasKlhg NEW YORK The major tele ton and Los Angeles I in lew York CBS said Oill I send one local and two national Sunday outside Independdhbe Hall in Philadelphia said Jeanne Schmedlen spokeswoman fdtlhe governor Other celebrities and special events are expected along the way Brooke Shields is to stafflLon George Washington Bridge and Dionne Warwick is to join the 4 line on the Ben ranklin with Golden Nugget employees from the Atlantic City areaw In Woodbridge inmates Rahway State Prison are nwg donations from their $15(ba day salaries and are going to form their own quarter mile chaitf in side the prison walls And in New Brunswick aGu i tion in the chain Tn San rancisco about people from punk rockers tosern Airw trnr a hihid uii ruuiua A I Hands (Continued from Page Al) but the continuous line is not important organizers said would be Chort said important thing is that ev eryone who wants to does You have to have money to participate If you want to be there go If you be there put yourself mentally into that whole sphere of energy and Inclement weather and a short age of volunteers forced organiz ers to accept gaps in those deserts and in New Mexico and Texas They will be bridged by red and white rope What happens when all 'over? Does everyone go back curl up and continue to walk bv the hungry and homeless on their pe jS to hold their wedding recep Across America is just tne Beginning cnort said raising people consciousness 4 I' wmie bu percent or tne money Across America on Saturday" raised by the event will go to linking up to the tune of A tor tne nungry and homeless the remaining money will be distrib uted as grants for programs working on the root causes of the problem such as employment education nutritional counseling and other programs Local organ izations can submit grant propos als to the organization solution is to help people find their own strengths so they can be self Chort said Why is it necessary to get peo ple to drive dozens of miles and hold hands with strangers to solve the problem of hunger? a Chort admit ted so jaded used to having things done for us We need a new excitement So a gimmick but something to get people going The reason for it is important The more you practice loving and giving love the better you feel and the more you want to do President Reagan decided to join the chain after a family dis cussion Thursday night with his wife his daughter Maureen and her husband Dennis Revell said presidential spokesman Larry speaKes He be the only political figure in the line Pennsylvania Gov Dick Thornburgh and his wife Ginny plan to join hands on um new jer sey areas said spokeswomans Joyce Kravitz NBC will also have an airborne! crew along with at local and one national crew on! the ground in New said I spokesman elix Martinez But Karen Borack a spofes 1 woman for Hands Across Artferi ca said Saturday organizers worried that the drown out the big moment at 3 1 pm EDT when everyone" oins hands and sings asking the choppers tof stay away from from about 2:30 to 3:30 nr She Said slrr The across the Golden Gate Bridge Music blasted from speakers across the 17 mile span as people who pledged at least $10 for the hungry and joined hands and side to side for about 15 Many remained on the about an hour before leavingjpr party at a nearby park the Hands Across 4bler ica campaign wound its way Los Angeles instead of San cisco residents here want to be left said Larry an organizer of the bridge linkup: is just a little kickoff to get the whole campaign Wydro said is great upbeat high energy and iCwill get the ball Participants wore red shirts that said Across "4 The demonstration sponsored by local radio station the Coca Cola Co lasted 7 about half an hour and local political well as members of the San ran cisco 49ers football team One participant wore a "Skunk suit and a sign that said: (Sunday Press wire services I contributed to this report): ij AP Laserphoto New York volunteer puts up poster for 'Hands Across America' the southern tip of Manhattan to Long Beach Calif through 500 cities and towns ranging from Pittsburgh and Dallas to estus Mo Bardwell Ky and Thoreau NM It stands to be the the line longest party with stilt walkers penguins parachutists balloons whales a baseball game bar becues bunting weddings and irsmilvr vAimtAne olnnrr Iho wav Aaiiiiijr avmxixvaais nxixvU) vivvu viiiiu vvu vuv vvviiLOj lie caiu lido uuilL a iiidll" Even President Reagan who Harvard based Physician Task ing list which can be used for said there was no real reason for orce on Hunger in America that other projects even one person to be hungry in the country fell into line there is Reagan told a group of high school students last week have to determine that that is probably because of a lack of knowledge on the part of the people as to what is After thinking it over Thursday night with his wife Nancy and his Older daughter Maureen nd vnlnnfonr nroani zaliAne and amo ka coi1 millinn Rnacrnn acrrnod fn Inf thn linn i a 6 Oil 1OOUV 11 0tuu is a success Twenty million is an come into the White House bilized in the 16 states crossed by extreme success iity million the line and in the other states as would basically parallel or outdo wen Are the A skeptical President Reagan Still what a concept! Ameri was enlisted for the line if not cans standing hand hand from converted to the cause And just think you might end up holding hands with the woman beside the guy next to the kid holding hands with Bill Cosby Liza Minnelli Don Johnson or Mickey Mouse focus is not just on the issue of money The most signifi cant thing we do is call attention to the issue and mobilize public opinion and mobilize public sup port for action on these said Ken Kragen the Los Angeles vision networks will be out in iuilg wuaj wi uic uauua ttuiuaa bciia unc local ana two national America extravaganza shooting crews to Battery Park to sKbot I the human link chain from heli the beginning A heli copters in the Midwest and hunt copter will fly the West Side of! ing for celebrities near Times Manhattan and fly over" Square George Washington Bridge I ABC CBS NBC and CNN will where the chain connects with I have network crews in several New human links large cities nationwide Local af ABC will have five crews" in 1 filiates in rural and suburban eluding one in a chopper areas of the Southwest and the ing the New York and New'Jer ivuuwesi win mi in me uiaiiKS Of the four networks only CNN plans to broadcast live starting mm "33 Mil i HiMHiiw 4 iBHK' ii tX zk Vt vx 'A? a Ar 4 a 'tv VAv 41 I fc'.