JEFFERSON CITY -- State Sen. Anita Yeckel, R-Sunset Hills, wants to save a program that has already changed the lives of hundreds of Missouri's young people. The Show Me Challenge Program, operated out of Camp Clark near Nevada, may have to shut its doors because its state funding was recently cut as a result of state budget problems.

Sen. Yeckel is joining with the Friends of Show Me Challenge Inc., a not-for-profit organization formed to save the program, to raise the money through private sources. The group has already raised $200,000 for their cause.

"Time is of the essence in this matter," said Sen. Yeckel. "We need at least another $300,000 by Jan. 27 in order to continue at least one more class."

According to the Senator, that money must be available up front in order to start the next 22 week session, which is scheduled to start on Feb. 15.

The Show-Me Challenge Program takes at risk youth, ages 16 to 18, and puts them through a voluntary military style program aimed at helping them get their high school equivalency, and assisting them in redirecting their lives in a productive way.

Approximately 830 young men and women have completed the Show Me Challenge Program in the last 4 ½ years.

The 22-week session is offered to eligible teens at no cost, even though the cost to run the program equals approximately $14,000 per student.

A normal fiscal year graduates two classes of 100 students each with a total budget of $2.8 million. Forty percent of this amount is normally provided from Missouri general revenue with the remaining 60 percent provided from federal funds.

"For every dollar of state money, the program receives another $1.50 from federal funds," Sen. Yeckel said.

Twenty-seven states now have similar programs.

"It's a case of pay now or pay a lot more later," said Sen. Yeckel. "We've seen studies that show that every graduate of a Challenge Program saves our society about $700,000 in future welfare or prison costs."

Anyone interested in helping with the effort to save this program, should make checks payable to: Friends of Show Me Challenge, Inc., P.O. Box 66, Nevada, MO 64772.

For more information, contact Sen. Yeckel at her Capitol office, (573) 751-2887; Bill Ratliff, (573) 690-4184; Carol Branham, (417) 448-2742; or Fred Heidolph, (314) 803-5938.

"The only way this program will continue is if we get a huge influx of private money in the next two weeks," Sen. Yeckel said. "We think we can do it, if people send checks now. Tomorrow may be too late."