KIND ACTS VISIBLE ACROSS THE CITY

Kindness ran rampant Friday as four groups did their parts to promote good feelings in the community.

Firefighters of Cape Girardeau got something that many people believe doesn't exist anymore -- a free lunch.

A local restaurant, H.R.H. Dumplin's, made the offer to members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department as a gesture of appreciation.

"We were trying to think of who to have this for," Dumplin's manager Julie Valle said, "and we thought, firemen put their lives at risk every day."

It wasn't just the risk factor that led to Friday's free-meal. "Not only do they help us, they've got a lot of children's programs," Valle said.

That was enough to convince John Johnston, Dumplin's owner. Valle said Johnston often has talked about how firefighters go unnoticed.

Valle said it was the first time Dumplin's had offered a free lunch. The idea was spawned by Random Acts of Kindness Week, and it probably won't be the last time a worthy group will be treated, she said.

-- Also on Friday, the Downtown Neighborhood Association and Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation got together to clean up St. Vincent's Seminary and College.

A number of people showed up at the historic seminary to clear debris from the yard, rake leaves and clean up the athletic facilities. They were treated to soda and hot dogs.

Diana Steele, director of community relations for the foundation, said the get-together offered a chance "to get to know the downtown businesses and neighborhood."

Steele hopes the cleanup effort will make the seminary more inviting to wedding parties.

-- Ten members of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Cape Girardeau distributed more than 200 free sodas starting at 5 p.m. to pedestrians and motorists at Broadway and Caruthers.

Robert Wright, pastor of Vineyard Christian, said it isn't the first time his group has offered the free drinks. They sometimes get a mixed reaction, he said.

"The wildest comment we got was from a carload of people who told us to get a job," Wright said. "They thought we were trying to make a living. A lot of people try to pay you anyway, but we don't allow it."

Random acts of kindness are a regular occurrence for members of Vineyard Christian Fellowship.

"Too often, communities see the church with her hand out," Wright said. "We try and turn that around; we want the church to be seen as giving to the community."

-- Nancy Jernigan, executive director, and Pete Poe, chairman of the board of the Area Wide United Way, presented free balloons to motorists at Broadway and Caruthers during the morning.

"It was our way of trying to brighten up everyone's day just a little," Jernigan said. "You can't help but smile just a little when a balloon's around."

Jernigan said she and Poe distributed more than 100 balloons to motorists and would consider doing it again.

"We might do it again next year," she said. "Or we might just do it at some other time and make it a truly random act of kindness."