Optimism, joy and celebration

As Shannon Aldridge hoisted his 12-year-old daughter Sahara onto the stage at the Show Me Center Friday night, a look of joy was on his face. That same look was on mother Amy's face as she watched from the front row.

The emotion in the air was palpable -- 1,711 people all coming together for one reason, to support a little girl in her fight against cancer.

Sitting on the edge of the stage, Rick Springfield was flanked on one side by Sahara, the other by Frances Dooley, a family friend affectionately called "Gramma Dooley" by the Aldridges.

Despite the brain-stem cancer Sahara is battling, nothing but optimism was in the arena.

Sahara had been onstage with Springfield before, but never in an occasion as special as this night. For years she's been wanting her favorite musician to play a concert in her hometown. Not only did he play that concert Friday night, but he played it for her, the "Concert for Sahara." Springfield donated his time and the Show Me Center donated its space to raise funds to help Sahara and her family in her fight against cancer and the mountain of medical bills that go along with her treatments.

"We're here to celebrate her health and to celebrate her growth ... and this is mainly for her college education that we're doing this," Springfield said, clutching Sahara and her "Gramma Dooley" tight, before letting Sahara sing part of his song "Don't Talk to Strangers."

The crowd roared with applause, almost all of them on their feet. "Celebrate" was the right word -- the concert was more like a happy gathering of a huge family than a concert.

Sahara has been showered with well-wishers for months, since Springfield posted her story on his Web site this summer. Friday night was a sort of culmination of all those months -- a night where it was Sahara, not Springfield, who was the star of the show.

Show Me Center director David Ross estimated that about $50,000 would be raised for Sahara by midnight, the end of the silent auction that accompanied the show. The money came from numerous sources -- ticket sales, merchandise sales, sales of special "Hope for Hoops" bracelets.

For Sahara and her parents, the concert was the cap to an exhausting, overwhelming and amazing day. They spent much of the day with Springfield, and at the concert Sahara was showered with attention, including a heartfelt opening speech by Jay Knudtson that almost brought the mayor to tears.

"We've always talked about it, but I never thought it really would happen," Sahara said before the show, in between greeting her many fans.

Like a rock star in her own right, Sahara was flanked by adoring fans from the time she walked into the Show Me Center until the concert began. Even during the intermission between the opening act -- Springfield's band without Springfield -- she was surrounded by well-wishers, primarily about 20 of her classmates. Some of them wore black T-shirts with the words "Sahara is my hero" printed in white.

As they greeted her, Sahara met them with huge hugs and a look of extreme happiness. She hasn't had much time to hang out with friends lately because of her treatments at a Houston hospital.

While the local community came out in mass numbers to support Sahara, people from all over the country were in attendance as well. They came from places as far away as New York and Texas to show their support for a little girl they had never even met and to see their favorite musician, Springfield.

Some of these strangers greeted Sahara during the show, while her family and her favorite teacher, Jennifer Hecht, watched over her.

One of them was Carol Keen of Bigelow, Ark., who posed for a picture with Sahara. A huge Springfield fan, Bigelow wore a black T-shirt with Springfield- and Sahara-related slogans all over it, like "Rick Springfield is proof that God loves me and wants me to be happy" and "Hope for Hoops."

Keen met three other Springfield fans at a show the night before in Kansas, and she made it to Cape Girardeau despite having to leave her car behind. It broke down in Kansas.

"I don't know Sahara, but I've heard about her on our local radio station," Keen said.

The same was true for many people at the show. Sahara's story reached media outlets across the country, turning a bit of the spotlight on Cape Girardeau.

Sahara walked away with a guitar Springfield smashed on stage, a yellow rose he tossed to her, plenty of memories and some extra hope to help her in her battle. The Aldridges couldn't have been happier.

"It is just amazing to see all of our family, our friends, people in the community, from all over the United States, coming here for our daughter," Amy Aldridge said. "It's kind of like a love fest."

msanders@semissourian.com

Sahara Aldridge talked with friends at the Show Me Center Friday night.FRED LYNCH flynch@semissourian.com

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