That's the amount the Deseret News is trying to raise for the Salt Lake County Assn. for Retarded Children. And for their donations of $3, $7, and $10, donors will receive tickets for the gala premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" Thursday, July 31.

 

All proceeds from the opening night show at the Villa Theater will go to the association, since the film is being donated for this benefit premiere by Magna Theater Corp., and the Villa Theater is being made available through Fox Wasatch Theaters.

 

As an added bonus, tickets purchased for the premiere are tax-deductible as a donation. Businessmen in particular are encouraged to purchase tickets for their most valued customers, their top employees and their family and friends.

 

Donation checks should be made payable to the Salt Lake County Assn. for Retarded Children. A handy coupon appears in today's Deseret News. Or, tickets may be obtained at the Uptown Theater, 53 S. Main St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily or at the Villa Theater, 3092 Highland Dr., from 6 to 9 p.m. each evening.

 

As beneficiary of the premiere, the association for the retarded children will join with the Utah Society for Crippled Children and Adults in the establishment of a sheltered workshop program this fall.

 

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The workshop, which will go into operation on the University of Utah campus this fall, will provide the means for mentally and physically handicapped people of the community to train to become financially independent.

 

At the present time, the Fairmont Park Training School is being operated for the mentally-retarded children of the area, and some 16 to 20 are taking advantage of the program there five days a week. Actually, many more could be (and should be) taken care of if facilities could be enlarged. The workshop will take the older children from the training school, making room for more younger children to take advantage of the school's recreational and social program.

 

While the mentally-retarded youngsters are not able to attend regular school, they are "trainable." From past experience it has been proven that they can perform tasks which might seem too tedious or routine for the average person.

 

For instance, last year they were asked to assemble some 10,000 picnic kits for a local savings and loan association.

 

The Fish and Game Department gave them some 10,000 letters to fold and prepare for mailing. They were given a deadline of one month - the work was completed in one week!

 

They have also been assembling "carry-out" boxes for a local restaurant, and last year they folded the Easter Seal letters and put them in envelopes.

 

These children have proved that they are capable of doing this type of work, and a sheltered workshop would give them the opportunity to do so. That is why they need $5,000 as their share of the workshop cost. Businesses which have work the children might do are also invited to contact the Fairmont Park Training School, INgersol 6-2281, and investigate the possibilities of "hiring" the students there.