Kyle Petty to headline CMH ball

Bolivar-based Citizens Memorial Healthcare will have former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty as its featured speaker for its seventh annual CMH Burgundy Ball, to be held Oct. 8 from 6:30-10 p.m. at the University Plaza in Springfield.

Petty is currently a NASCAR race analyst for Turner Network Television.

CMH Director of Marketing Tamera Heitz-Peek said in a phone interview that Petty would bring attention to the event because of his fame in the NASCAR community and the popularity of the sport in the area. She also said he was a good fit because of his extracurricular activities.

"Kyle Petty has done a lot on the side as well," she said, noting his charity program Victory Junction, a camp in North Carolina that aids children with chronic illnesses. "He really has a giving heart, and he has a lot of philanthropic endeavors."

The event also will feature a silent auction, with donated items including a family trip to Disney World, a diamond necklace and an iPad. A live auction will be held as well, and private donations will be accepted, Heitz-Peek said.

All proceeds will benefit the CMH Carrie J. Babb Cancer Center, specifically to help patients from outside of Bolivar pay for necessities such as transportation, food and shelter, she said.

Four Donald J. Babb awards, which recognize CMH contributors, will be announced at the event.

The 2009 Burgundy Ball - with featured guest Vicki Lawrence, actress and comedienne - raised more than $20,000 for the cancer center, according to the CMH Web site.
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