Dear Editor: Sometime in the near future, if you have not already seen one, you'll soon see a shriner with a bucket at an intersection taking up money for the shriners' hospitals and burn institutes. Please drop a donation in the bucket because this is the way that shriners collect money to help support the 22 shrine-hospitals and the three burn institutes for crippled children.

Since 1922, when the first shriners' hospital was built, more than $2.5 billion dollars has been spent building and operating shriner hospitals for cripple children. For a child who is under the age of 18 years, there is never a charge to the patient, parent or any third party for any service or medical treatment received by the child at the hospitals. No state, local or federal funding of any kind is sought or accepted for any medical service provided at shriners' hospitals. These hospitals are supported by shriners and donations from the public.

The shriners have helped over 700,000 crippled children and have made significant progress in treating burned children.

If anyone would like to make a donation to this worthy cause, please send a check made payable to the Yaarab Shrine, mark that it is for the shriner hospitals and mail to:

Charles D. Strickland, treasurer
Alcovy Shrine Club
P.O. Box 22
Covington, Ga. 30015-0022

If you should need additional information, please call me at (770) 786-6124.

Remember that this money or any money placed in the buckets of the shriners taking up collections will be used exclusively for the hospitals and to help crippled children. Any amount that you give will be appreciated