DATING SERVICE CELEBRATES 10TH YEAR

Apollo 2001 Dating Service is observing its 10th anniversary in Cape Girardeau.

The dating service, owned by Clyde L. Benson, enables singles searching for love, romance, friendship or dates to meet and find their match.

With more than 3,500 members in the Apollo 200l database looking for friends and dates, the service is a personalized service.

"We provide the opportunity for people to meet the type of person they are looking for," said Benson, who first started the service in January 1990 as Great Expectations.

"We've utilized other names for the service over the years," said Benson. "We've been called Matchmaking, Close Encounters, and recently, the Apollo 2001 name."

The service reaches out to an area of about 150 miles, including Ste. Charles, St. Louis, Carbondale, Ill., Poplar Bluff and Paducah, Ky.

"We receive calls every day," said Benson. "We have a 65-question questionnaire. With our data base computer, we can match people with the same likes and interests."

Some couples have wound up at the altar, said Benson, adding: "We're proud of our screening process. All clients are screened."

Benson was familiar with dating service operations before opening the one at Cape Girardeau.

"I had joined dating services in St. Louis and Seattle," said Benson, who is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, in sociology and psychology.

Benson is also familiar with the immediate Southeast Missouri area. He is native of Cape Girardeau and a former member of the Cape Central tennis team.