Oliver North fundraiser in Cape Girardeau postponed

Oliver North's planned speech May 1 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau has been postponed, organizers said Tuesday.

Dr. Joe Baker, president of the board of directors of the Stars and Stripes National Museum/Library in Bloomfield, Mo., said the short time to plan the event and a lack of corporate sponsors were factors that led to the postponement.

"Things are tight with corporate sponsors right now," Baker said. "We saw where things were headed, and we felt that if it's not going to be a good event, there was no way we'd go forward with it."

The Stars and Stripes National Museum/Library had announced in March that North was to appear at the Show Me Center. A decorated Marine, North is a best-selling author and host of "War Stories" on Fox News Channel.

Tickets for the event went on sale Friday. Proceeds from the event were to benefit the museum and the local detachment of the Marine Corps League in Cape Girardeau.

In an e-mail to the Southeast Missourian, Jim Maevers of the Marine Corps League said the group is disappointed about the postponement, but looks forward to working with the museum on future

events.

Baker said people who had purchased tickets to the event will receive a full refund through Ticketmaster or the Show Me Center box office.

Though no makeup date has been scheduled, Baker said he would like to have the event in the spring of 2011.

"We certainly would have like to have gotten this done," Baker said. "But we look forward to the future."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent addresses:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO

17377 Stars and Stripes Way, Bloomfield, MO