Football game, festivities to benefit sheriff's deputy with cancer

Travis Sikes was a 17-year veteran of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department when he was diagnosed last October with mantel cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.

Travis' co-workers and friends, who know him as "Tick," got together and came up with the idea to host a benefit football game between The Cape County Enforcers, an amateur football team many of them play on in their free time, and a team made up of law enforcement officers from the other side of the state.

"We want to do everything we can to help Travis out," said Mac Robinson, one of the event organizers. "All of the money raised will go to Travis."

The Cape County Enforcers will host the benefit football game Saturday at the Central High School football stadium. Their opponent will be the Springfield Guns, a football team from Springfield, Mo. All proceeds from the pregame activities and the game will benefit Sikes, a detective in the sheriff's department.

The pregame festivities will kick off at 4 p.m. with military, police and fire vehicles on display as well as a medical helicopter landing. A bounce house and an obstacle course will also be available for children.

A two-mile run/walk, sponsored by Crossfit 573, will begin at 4:30 p.m. It will begin and end at the stadium. Registration fee for the run/walk is $20, and all participants will receive a T-shirt. People can register for the run/walk at www.crossfit573.com.

At 5 p.m., civilians and Cape Girardeau County law enforcement officers will face off in a relay-style wing eating contest sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings. Six civilians will compete in the contest.

"Austin Reed and Mac Robinson got in touch with us about sponsoring the wing eating contest and helping to organize the event," said Buffalo Wild Wings marketing director Jessica Mobley. "We are very excited to be a part of it and to lend support to a 17-year veteran of Cape County law enforcement."

Several St. Louis Rams cheerleaders will also be on hand to support the game, and "America's Got Talent" winner Neal E. Boyd of Sikeston, Mo., is scheduled to sing the national anthem. T-shirts and concessions will also be available.

Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m., when the Enforcers and the Guns will compete in a full-pad, full-contact game.

Monetary donations will be collected at the stadium entrance. All donations for the game and the pregame activities will go toward Sikes' medical expenses.

Those interested in signing up for the two-mile run/walk or donating food or drinks to the event may email capecountyenforcers@gmail.com.

Pertinent address:

1000 Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, MO