Chamber picnic draws 3,000 students

It takes one thing to bring thousands of college students together on their last day of summer vacation.

Free stuff.

T-shirts, ink pens, chip clips, mugs -- all with prominent logos of area businesses -- were for the taking Sunday at the Chamber of Commerce University Relations Committee's welcome-back picnic in Capaha Park.

"College students and free stuff go together, that's why I'm here," said Adam Buckey, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University.

The Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the annual picnics for about 10 years. The event usually draws an estimated 2,000 students, but chamber president and CEO John Mehner said 3,000 attended this year.

"There was an unbelievable crowd. It was huge," Mehner said.

Mehner said the chamber sponsors the picnic to recognize the importance of university students to Cape Girardeau.

Local banks, restaurants, cell phone companies, beauty stores and gift shops handed out merchandise and coupons in part to welcome back Southeast Missouri State University students, but also in hopes of drumming up customers.

"Students put a lot of money into this community," said Janet Floyd of Commerce Bank in Cape Girardeau. "Hopefully, we'll get some business from this."

'Got a lot of coupons'

Commerce Bank was one of about 50 businesses and organizations that set up booths at the picnic. The longest lines of students formed around booths giving out free snacks like ice cream and sodas.

Southeast freshman Candice Haas of Belleville, Ill., said she'll probably go to the places she received coupons and free merchandise from .

"I've only been in Cape four days, and I don't really know where anything is yet," she said. "Plus I've got a lot of coupons, and I don't buy anything unless it's on sale or I have a discount."

Nonprofit groups, like student organizations and churches, also sent representatives to the picnic to try to draw students in.

"We're just looking to introduce people to church and let them know we have a ministry for younger people," said Kristin Nelson with St. Andrew's Lutheran Church. "Many of these students don't have a church here or anywhere."

The picnic also included outdoor activities like volleyball and canoe rides, as well as free food provided by Chartwells Educational Dining Services.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128