Five Leadership Cape groups pitch community ideas at First Friday

If each of the five ideas presented Friday morning at the Show Me Center were to come true, patients and their families with prolonged stays in Cape Girardeau hospitals could find affordable lodging during their health crisis. Upon getting better, they could use free citywide Wi-Fi to access a new destination-type website. On it, they could find out about a regional food celebration event called the Taste of the Heartland or make plans to attend a show during a monthlong summer theater and dance festival.

Participants in the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Cape program presented their projects in front of more than 200 chamber members at the chamber's monthly First Friday Coffee gathering. Leadership Cape is an annual chamber program aimed at developing new leaders in the community. The larger Leadership Cape group is divided into teams, and each team, as part of the program, comes up with a project idea to pitch to the chamber group at-large. The project groups are encouraged to be creative and are given the freedom to think as big or as small as they want.

Citywide Wi-Fi

One group pitched an initiative that would provide free wireless internet access in all of Cape Girardeau.

The wireless access could be used by businesses to communicate on the fly, by visitors who could access maps and destinations, and by families who could live-stream events to long-distance relatives. It could also be used by city emergency personnel and public works departments to improve communication.

The group did not discuss what the costs might be for the service but presented several funding possibilities, including private and public partnerships. Public options include a bond issue or a share of the city's hotel and food tax. Private funding could come via sponsorship in exchange for advertising on the Wi-Fi site. Also, individual users would pay to upgrade bandwidth. The closest offering of free public Wi-Fi is downtown St. Louis.

Patient lodging facility

While Cape Girardeau's medical community and service organizations provide lodging and travel assistance to patients and families who must travel long distances and face long hospital stays or daily trips, those services are narrow in scope. A facility that covers low-cost lodging for all types of health situations could close gaps and serve families who currently have nowhere to turn while loved ones are in the hospital.

The Leadership Cape group reported that a similar organization, called the Haven House, operates in St. Louis and houses patients and families who don't qualify for other places such as the Ronald McDonald House that helps families of pediatric patients. The group's proposal could put a family in a hotel for $35 a night. The plan calls for eight to 12 guest rooms either in an existing or new facility, depending on funding. The cost for the program would be about $100 per family per day. The difference would rely on public-private partnerships, cooperation with hospitals and organizations like the American Cancer Society. Once the operation was established, grant funding could be obtained more easily. Benefits include lessening the burden on patients and families, but also giving the local hospitals the potential of drawing more patients from the fringe of their service areas.

Taste of the Heartland

Drawing inspiration from larger cities such as St. Louis and Chicago, a third group introduced the concept of a large regional event showcasing cuisine, art and music called Taste of the Heartland.

The event would set up Restaurant Row along Main Street, with food vendors operating booths to provide samples and demonstrations. It would set up an art walk along Spanish Street, with live bands playing throughout the two-day festival. The hope is that the family friendly event would draw thousands. St. Louis' Taste of St. Louis draws 300,000 people. The event, which would be free to the public, would be funded by sponsorships and vendor participation.

Destination website

Be. Explore. Stay. Taste. Those words formed the acronym BEST, as in bestofcape.com, a site where those wanting to get out and be active can access information based on their situation. For example, a couple could click on the "Just the Two of Us" tab and find places to eat and things to do for date night. A group of women could click on the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" tab to find fun things to do for women. College students would click on the "Living on a Prayer" option for cheap entertainment options. Restaurants and business would sign up for $150 to $200 to be featured on the site, which could generate more than enough to cover the estimated $525,000 annual marketing costs. But the plan did not include labor costs.

Summer theater festival

The River's Edge Theatre and Dance Festival would orchestrate a monthlong showcase of theater and dance performances during the summer when the River Campus is not being used as frequently by students of Southeast Missouri State University. The festival would offer educational experiences for all ages, potentially bringing 5,000 visitors to Cape Girardeau in the first summer. Other communities, including Carbondale, Ill., have succeeded in the concept. The project would generate ticket income of $110,000. That revenue, combined with corporate sponsorship support of $160,000 and individual donors' support of $10,000 would be needed to support the festival. The group estimated a $600,000 economic impact for the city.

bmiller@semissourian.com

388-3625

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau, MO