PARK EVENT EMPHASIZES THE FAMILY

Games, prizes, contests, crafts and stage entertainment are some of the activities to be enjoyed at this year's "Sunday in the Park." The family event, for children ages 2-12, will be held from 1-4 p.m. April 5 in the A.C. Brase Arena Building at Arena Park and nearby grounds.

"Sunday in the Park" is presented by the Family Learning Center and Community Counseling Center. The event is co-sponsored by St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Admission is 25 cents a child, not to exceed a $1 for a family. Tickets for games and other activities are 10 cents a ticket. There is no charge for outdoor activities. Proceeds from the event benefit the ongoing service of the Family Learning Center.

A few of the indoor activities include carnival-style games, thumb art, a toy flea market, face painting, a photo booth, food booths, paper Easter egg decorations and an Easter egg forest and treasure tree.

Each half hour, stage entertainment is scheduled. Performances include clowns, gymnasts, dancers and a musician.

Outdoor activities include a petting zoo, a kite clinic, drip art and sidewalk chalk art.

Also featured will be health screenings and informational booths for children and their parents. Optometrist David Bleise will provide vision screenings and referrals. The Cape Girardeau Police Department will offer children fingerprinting. Displays will be set up by both hospitals, the Girl Scout Otahki Council, Cape Girardeau Public Library and area agencies.

Local day care centers and grade schools have participated in a drawing contest. Participants were asked to draw a picture of their family during a favorite spring time activity. Entries, divided into three age groups, will be displayed at the event.

Drawing contest winners, selected by members of the Southeast Missouri Council of the Arts, will receive a $50 savings bond or $25 cash donated by local banks. Raffle items, donated by local businesses, will be drawn at the event. Winners need not be present to win.

"`Sunday in the Park' presents opportunities for parents and children to have fun and learn together. They can experience each other in positive ways. Positive experiences are important for family life," said Mati Stone, clinical director of Community Counseling Center and executive director of the center's foundation.

The Family Learning Center emphasis is on strengthening families. Effective parenting skills and improved parent-child relationships are important goals.

"Sunday in the Park," with its family emphasis, is consistent with the mission and program of the Family Learning Center, Stone said.