MARCHI GETS LIMBAUGH AWARD, BART BUSINESS HONOR

David Limbaugh, left, presented the Rush H. Limbaugh Award to Dennis Marchi, center, with Bart Ozbun, 1999 chairman of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Dennis Marchi has been immersed in community projects since he arrived in Cape Girardeau 14 years ago.

What Marchi, manager of Schnucks Food & Drug since 1985, has given to Cape Girardeau has added up to more than hours recorded sitting on community boards or rolling up his sleeves on behalf of community betterment.

He has, say those who know him best, given heart and soul to a city he now calls home. Friday night, Cape Girardeau gave something back to Marchi: the prestigious Rush H. Limbaugh Award.

The award was presented by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce during the chamber's annual dinner-dance at the Show Me Center.

Also honored at the annual chamber event were Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation (BART), which received the Small Business of the Year Award, and Cathy Schlosser, who received the Go-Getter Award for outstanding work with the chamber's membership committee.

New and outgoing chamber directors were recognized by Bart Ozbun, Ozbun, vice president and financial counselor-in-charge of the local Merrill Lynch investment office, is new chairman, succeeding Doug Groesbeck, district manager for AmerenUE at Cape Girardeau.

David Limbaugh, grandson of the late Rush H. Limbaugh, presented the award named for his grandfather.

The award, established in 1989, recognizes a business person who has expended an exceptional effort for the community over time.

Limbaugh, an attorney for more than 75 years here, was the award's first recipient. Others have included radio and television station owner Oscar Hirsch; businessman and former mayor Howard C. Tooke; businessmen Harry Rediger, Charles Hutson and Joe F. Gambill; businessman and former mayor Narvol A. Randol; businessman and former mayor J. Hugh Logan; and businessman Gene Huckstep.

Marchi started his community involvement the year he arrived in Cape Girardeau and hasn't let up since.

During the past year, he has been involved in Area Wide United Way, serving as a co-chairman for its golf tournament; chairman of the Salvation Army Tree of Lights; co-chairman of the March of Dimes Auction; and has worked with the YELL program, Coats for Kids, and served on the board of directors for St. Francis Medical Center.

Marchi has already been named to the United Way board for 1999.

Over the years he has served as Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce chairman and United Way board president. He has also served on boards for the American Red Cross, Community Counseling Center, Southeast Missouri State University marketing department, and the university's Business College. He is a member of the university's Copper Dome Society and Booster Club. He has also served as officer for the retail steering committee of the chamber, Riverfest committee, Friends of the Park, and Southeast Missouri Boy Scouts Food Drive.

Marchi has received numerous honors, including his own company's prestigious Edward J. Schnuck Community Service Award, for outstanding civic leadership and dedication to community service; Jaycee Boss of the Year; and Jaycee Distinguished Service Award, 1988.

Marchi said he was proud to call Cape Girardeau home.

"I have had chances to return to St. Louis but turned them down because, to me, Cape Girardeau is home," said Marchi.

BART, a business that started with a single van transporting passengers between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis' Lambert Airport, has grown during its dozen years of existence.

Founded by John Marek and Ray Duffey in 1987, BART now operates 17 vans, providing shuttle services in a number of areas. Eight vans work out of the Cape Girardeau area. Others provide shuttle service between Carbondale, Ill., and St. Louis. The company also has operations out of Springfield, Ill.

Marek sold his share of the business to Duffey in 1989 to relocate to an area where he started a similar service.

Headquartered at 2900 Kage Rd. BART dispatches all its vans from the Cape Girardeau office.

The majority of BART trips are still to the St. Louis airport, but more people are using the services for business trips to St. Louis, Duffey said.

BART averages seven trips a day to St. Louis from Cape Girardeau.

"Bart is popular with a lot of people simply because of the convenience of not having to fight traffic and park in St. Louis," said Duffey. "A lot of our business is from visitors or business associates coming in."

BART is the eighth recipient of the award. Previous winners were Advance Business Systems in 1992, Bluff City Beer in 1993, KBSI-TV in 1994, Ford Groves in 1995; Hutson's Fine Furniture in 1996, Horizon Promotional Products in 1977, and Johnson Tel-Link last year.