BackStoppers frets over rising education costs -

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 November 25, 2009 -- Jesse Carmack, left, of the Caseyville Police Department, fights Corey Hogan, of the Cottleville Fire Department, in the fifth bout of the Guns 'N Hoses boxing match at the Scottrade Center. The annual match pits the Police against the Fire Department to raise money for The BackStoppers. (Sarah Conard | freelance)

BackStoppers Fundraiser

What • The largest fundraiser for BackStoppers will pit firefighters against police officers in 17 boxing matches during the 24th annual Budweiser Guns 'N Hoses event.
When • 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Where • Scottrade Center.
Tickets and more information • Tickets at $30, $25, $20 and $10 are available at the Scottrade Center box office. Visit www.stlgunsandhoses.com to learn more about the event. Visit www.backstoppers.com for more information about the organization.

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BackStoppers, well-known for providing a financial rock under the families of public safety workers killed doing their jobs — including covering education costs for their children — is looking for a little more economic security of its own. A recent financial analysis showed that the total cost of educating the fallen public servants' children could be as much as $8.6 million over the next 20 years — a price tag that could swallow most of the money generated from corporate donations and fundraisers like Wednesday night's Guns 'N Hoses boxing event.

That would squeeze BackStoppers' ability to eliminate other debts for the families of the fallen, said Executive Director Ron Battelle, himself a former county police chief.

We hired some financial experts to do an analysis of our future education costs, and we were shocked at what our obligation is going to be," he said in a recent interview.

BackStoppers provides assistance to the spouses and children of local and county police officers, firefighters, publicly funded paramedics and EMTs and volunteer firefighters killed in the line of duty in 12 counties of eastern Missouri and five in southwestern Illinois.
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