Join in to share Black Friday shopping stories

Editor's note: The entry about the Old Town Cape Downtown Christmas Open House has been corrected.

Black Friday is the Super Bowl of shopping. I've always said shopping is my sport. Maybe that's why I like covering Black Friday shopping so much every year.

This will be the third year I'll be out into the wee hours of Black Friday morning interviewing shoppers and retailers in Cape Girardeau.

I love talking to the person who has been in line since just after wolfing down their turkey dinner, in hopes of getting that 40-inch TV for $200 when the store opens at midnight. It's easy to get caught up in their excitement. I've talked to many who say without the Black Friday specials, they couldn't afford the gifts they want to give their family. While they may not have much money, they say they've got the time to wait in line, and it's worth it to them.

I also know many others who prefer to avoid the crowds and look down on stores opening earlier, pulling shoppers away from their families.

No matter how you feel about Black Friday, I encourage you to join in with me on Twitter to talk about it.

This is the third year I've used the Twitter tag #semoblackfriday to swap stories with other shoppers, and I hope you'll join in the fun of that this year.

If you see a long line, or a hot deal somewhere, tweet it using the #semoblackfriday tag to share what you see with other area shoppers. I will be doing the same and will retweet as many of you as I can throughout the night, so be sure you are following me @semissourianbiz.

I'll see you all out in the stores this Thursday and Friday!

* Downtown revitalization organization Old Town Cape will host its 21st annual Parade of Lights on Sunday in Cape Girardeau.

This year's theme is "All I Want for Christmas." The parade will begin at about 5 p.m. or as dusk arrives, and end with Santa, who will be on the final float riding in his sleigh. The route will begin at Capaha Park and proceed down Broadway, turning right on Main Street and ending at Merriwether Street. About 70 businesses and organizations have already signed up to participate in this year's parade. Each entry must be lighted and play or sing Christmas music. Businesses or organizations interested in participating should call Old Town Cape at 334-8085 or visit www.oldtowncape.org/events.

The Old Town Cape Downtown Christmas Open House will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 7. In addition to in-store specials, there will be caroling, free wagon rides, free pictures with Santa and children's activities in Santa's Workshop at 116 N. Main St. Participants could also win a $1,500 downtown shopping spree. To compete for the shopping spree, shoppers must visit a registration booth to fill out an entry form and receive their ticket packet. This will register the shoppers' entry number, but does not enter them into the drawing. To enter the drawing, shoppers must submit at least one ticket into a Christmas box at one of the participating businesses. Shoppers can drop off one ticket for one chance to win, or drop off all tickets at participating locations for more chances to win. To enter, shoppers must be 18 years or older. Each participant is limited to one entry packet. Registration booths will be at Hutson's Fine Furniture, eDen Spa and Salon and 116 N. Main St. The winner will be announced Dec. 11 and will receive a $1,500 downtown shopping spree to spend at participating businesses. Beginning at 5 p.m. Dec. 7, official ticket packets can be picked up at the registration booths and then dropped off at the following stores: Buckner Brewing Co., Jayson Jewelers, Stash, eDen Spa and Salon, Renaissance, Riverfront Gifts & Collectibles, Bilderbach Art Plaza, Somewhere In Time Antiques, Pastimes Antiques, Zickfield's Jewelers, Sloan and Themis, Hutson's Fine Furniture, Cup 'N' Cork, Sweet Designs Boutique, C.P. McGinty Jewelers, Kids Bazaar and Hotshots.

* Chick-fil-A opened a location inside West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau last week. Chick-fil-A was in West Park Mall's food court area for many years, but the restaurant closed in 2006. Chick-fil-A is now just inside the main mall entrance, where Cinnabon and Durango Deli operated previously. It will be open six days a week. This location, along with the free-standing restaurant across from the mall on Gordonville Road, are owned and operated by Brian and Tamilla House.

Mall leasing agent Mark Frazier said the restaurant's lease extends through the holiday shopping season, and depending on customer response, could continue after that. Chick-fil-A's first day inside the mall was a busy one, he said.

* Southeast Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology Foundation's National Cardiovascular Data Registry ACTION Registry Get With The Guidelines Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2012. It was one of only 164 hospitals nationwide to do so.

ACTION Registry – GWTG is a partnership between the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association, with partnering support from the American College of Emergency Physicians, Society of Chest Pain Centers and the Society of Hospital Medicine.

The award recognizes Southeast Hospital's care for heart attack patients. It signifies that Southeast has reached a goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care, as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Southeast consistently followed the treatment guidelines for eight consecutive quarters and met a performance standard of 90 percent for specific performance measures.

* Saint Francis Medical Center is the first in the region to offer the PET F18 Bone Survey, a new type of bone imaging. The tool helps capture high-definition bone images, making it easier to accurately detect cancer that has metastasized or spread to the bone, according to Mark L. Gates, M.D., a radiologist at Saint Francis Medical Center specializing in nuclear medicine. PET F18, also known as sodium fluoride F18, is a radioactive, diagnostic tracing agent used in PET imaging. After the agent is injected into the patient intravenously, it travels through the blood directly to the bone -- highlighting active bone turnover that may indicate metastatic disease. A PET scan then captures highly detailed and clear images of the bone and any potential abnormalities. A number of prevalent cancers in the United States are associated with metastatic bone disease. Bone scans are essential tools in the diagnosis of bone metastases, especially in cancers like breast and prostate that tend to spread to the bone.

Southeast Missourian Business Editor Melissa Miller can be reached by email at mmiller@semissourian.com or by phone at 388-3646.