MAKING OF THE HOLIDAY PARADE; 120 ENTRIES TO LIGHT UP DOWNTOWN CAPE TONIGHT

Despite today's forecast for mild weather, First General Baptist Church wanted to guarantee warm hands and hearts for spectators at this year's Christmas Parade of Lights.

Instead of the usual treats, people on the church's float will distribute more than 2,000 pairs of one-size-fits-all gloves during today's parade through downtown Cape Girardeau. The gloves will come with a message on a tag that reads: "Warm hands, warm heart" and includes the church address.

Church members donated money or bought gloves themselves.

"Basically it's just good will," said church member Jerry Wilson.

Spectators might need umbrellas more than gloves. The chance of Sunday showers is estimated at 60 percent.

Participants in the parade will begin lining up at 3 p.m. at Capaha Park, with the parade set to begin down Broadway toward Main Street at 5 or nightfall. The parade ends at Hutson's Furniture and its gaily decorated Christmas window.

The number of entries -- 120 -- will make this the biggest of the five Christmas parades sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association. Other sponsors this year are KBSI and Zimmer Broadcasting.

"We've had a lot of new businesses getting involved," said Doc Cain, the parade chairman.

One business newcomer to the parade will be Treasured Moments Child Development Center in Jackson. The float will have a "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" theme and carry a fireplace, a Christmas tree and about 15 children in pajamas.

"The kids did the candy decorations this week," owner April Garner said.

The Vocational Industrial Clubs of America float will include a sign made of refrigeration products. The letters "VICA" are supposed to freeze up.

The float also will employ a strobe light to help a VICA member portray the welding vocation.

Building the float has been much like a class, says Dwayne Kirchhoff, who teaches refrigeration and air conditioning at the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational Technical School and advises VICA.

"They learned the basic refrigeration cycle, they learned teamwork," he said. "They have to work as a team to design and build it and learn how to wire it."

Kirchhoff said the float will be lit up with 2,000 clear light bulbs.

The club includes students from Cape Central, Notre Dame, Jackson, Delta, Chaffee, Advance, Leopold and Scott City.

McCombs Funeral Home will sponsor a float in the parade for the first time this year. The float also will appear in the Jackson Christmas Parade Saturday.

They've concocted an old-fashioned Christmas scene with a tree, rocking chair and rocking horse. Members of the staff will be aboard. Linda Miller, a secretary for the company, said no music is planned. "We just want to be warm," she said.

Three marching bands are scheduled to participate, including an informal group composed of Central High School band members and parents.

The Jerry Ford Orchestra will play Christmas standards aboard a flatbed truck.

A truck from Cape Girardeau Fire Station No. 1 will be festooned with lights once again, and Cape Girardeau Police Department bike officers will lead the parade.

Santa Claus will bring up the rear on the Downtown Merchants Association float, a paddle-wheeler riverboat.

Downtown businesses will hold an open house prior to the parade. Many downtown shops will be open from 1-5 and offer shoppers warm drinks and treats.