Organizer of South Cape march hoping for 1,000 participants

The Rev. Byron Bonner admits that hundreds of people marching through the streets won't eliminate crime and violence on the south side of Cape Girardeau.

But that's not the point of the next month's "Taking it Back II" march.

"The march says to the kids in the community, 'We love you,'" said Bonner, pastor of True Vine Ministries.

Bonner is again hoping for at least 1,000 people will take to the streets Dec. 5 to express their love and concern for the community's youths.

"Love is an ingredient that a lot of these kids aren't familiar with due to their environment," Bonner said. "Their hearts have been robbed."

Last year's march drew more than 100 marchers, well short of the goal. Bonner said he is optimistic that some of the work the church is doing in the community will result in more support for the march.

"When you're doing something positive in the community, word will get out," Bonner said. "We feel it in our spirit that more people are going to get involved."

Growth of the True Vine congregation has resulted in a move to a new location at the corner of Bloomfield and Park streets, where this year's march will end. The route of the march hasn't been finalized, but Bonner said that a free chili supper and clothing giveaway will conclude the day's activities.

Bonner and evangelist Darryl Reddin of the church hope to call attention to what they feel is a big problem in the south side community -- a lack of a place for youths to go for recreation.

"There's nothing to do there. ... The nearest gym is the Osage Centre," Reddin said. "So a lot of the kids have nowhere to go. That's why they hang out on the street corners and sell dope."

Participating in last year's inaugural "Taking it Back" march were representatives of city government, schools and a number of Cape Girardeau churches. Bonner is hoping other churches will have delegations in this year's event.

Various church representatives were scheduled to meet Saturday at True Vine to discuss the march. Bonner said there will be more meetings of south-side community church representatives to discuss the problems of the area. "We're planning and praying to get a team of pastors together to tell each other what they see," he said.

Bonner said one church can't solve South Cape's problems.

"True Vine can't do it by themselves. Greater Dimension can't do it by themselves. Second Baptist can't do it by themselves. But if we all pull together in love and unity, we can make a difference," he said.