Saturday proved to be a busy one in Cape Girardeau

The walkers were moving by 8 a.m. Saturday in the Cape County Park North for the Walk to End Alzheimer's.

Of the nearly 500 people who committed to do two miles around the lake, some, like Sarah Garner, hoped to raise money and awareness. For others, like Sue Case, the walk was more personal.

The yellow pinwheel she carried was for her mother, Dee.

"My mom has Alzheimer's," she said, waving to a passing group of arriving walkers. "This [event] shows lots of support, which is important when you're going through it."

She paused to wave to another person she recognized. Because it was her first time participating in the walk, she said she hadn't realized how many people in Cape Girardeau were willing to spend a Saturday morning supporting a cause that had become so dear to her.

Cornhole games proved popular with tailgating Saturday before the Southeast Missouri State's football game against Indiana State in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

A bit later, as Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas-Aburto personally welcomed families to a special breakfast to kick off the university's Family Weekend, the Cape Giradeau Public Library welcomed local orators for a public-speaking competition.

Members of local Toastmasters clubs performed humorous speeches, each sharing their own five- to seven-minute slice of life.

"So here I am," said Tim Scarbrough. "Sitting on my butt in a big pile of cow -- shhhhh!"

Joey Hayes, English expatriate and soccer fanatic, insisted on calling the sport "football" and sought to dispel his in-laws' suggestion it is inherently "communist."

The prize, though, went to Poplar Bluff's Matt Johnson, who shared his account of penetrating the "seedy world of black-market garlic butter" and gave a rousing endorsement of his ketogenic diet. He lost 70 pounds on the low-carb, high-fat diet, he told the judges.

"Butter," he said, "will make your pants fall off."

Back at Southeast's University Center, Family Weekend was in full swing. Info booths, a live band and a cotton-candy machine were there. There were children taking photos with Rowdy the Redhawk, moms in Southeast garb and dads embarrassing their kids by singing along to that country song about going down to the Grundy County Auction.

Outside the din, visiting mom Angie Bueltemann and her son Hayden stopped at one booth to help Southeast's Zeta Phi Beta sorority help the homeless.

"Don't let the hurtful things get to you," Hayden's handwritten note said.

Sorority member Haley Ellison explained the note would be attached to one of the 50 bags, each containing a bar of soap, toilet paper, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

"This is our first year doing it," she said. "But we hope to make it an annual thing."

The bags later will be delivered to the Salvation Army.

"A lot of charities get help around the holidays," Ellison said. "But what people don't understand is that they need help around the year, not just around the holidays."

Meanwhile, the Missouri Department of Conservation sought to rekindle residents' love for the Mississippi during its annual Day on the River.

Josh Abner with the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center shows Oakley Welker a black buffalo fish at A Day on the River on Saturday at Riverfront Park.Fred Lynch

Hundreds turned out to see, touch and smell the river and the ecosystems it supports.

"So how many people have been on the Mississippi before?" asked boat tour pilot Sara Tripp as she steered the boat toward Illinois. Three hands went up, not counting the two guides.

"That's the most I've had all day," she said.

It was breezy and smooth on the water, and the guides quizzed riders on the length of the river, bald eagles and the endangered pallid sturgeon.

Diane Gorton, flanked by her granddaughters Rylee and Lynden, said the ride was the highlight of their day at the river.

"We thought it was awesome," she said, "a great learning experience for the kids." Nine-year-old Rylee still was thinking about the cluster of debris caught on a buoy.

"I saw that chair out there, and I thought, 'Why would that be out there?'" she said.

As the afternoon stretched on, the cloud cover broke up, adding humidity to an already rain-soggy fairground. The mud, however, did little to deter fairgoers from the festivities. For some children, it seemed, the mud was a bonus -- something to squelch between the toes while waiting in line.

Tray Curry picks up his daughter Nari so she can get a better angle of the Big Bamboo funhouse during the final day of the SEMO District Fair on Saturday at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

The ducks, goats and pigs that raced at one exhibit were just as messy. When the pigs raced, each was named after a political figure.

"And just like their political counterparts," the announcer told the crowd, "These guys haven't learned quite how to keep things clean."

The Donald pig won.

On Saturday afternoon, the River Tales Classic Cruise-In and Redhawk pregame tailgating both were scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., but the tailgating began first at Houck Stadium.

One lot was filled with intergenerational barbecues, the other with beery cornhole tournaments. Bellevue Street between was a blocked-off sea of red gearing up for Southeast's game against Indiana State.

The Cruise-In at Capaha Park had barbecue and music, too, but was a tamer affair. The sun was setting, and some of the younger attendees had begun to wilt.

One man, Jim Hart, had taken to carrying his young son Troy on his shoulders while they perused the collection of classic autos.

"Yeah, he's getting pretty tired," Hart said. "He'll probably sleep good tonight."

Over the loudspeaker, an announcer promised even more cars would be at today's event downtown from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Discovery Playhouse grand opening celebration also will be from 1 to 5 p.m. today, and the City of Roses Half Marathon will kick off at 7 a.m. and wind through historic Old Town Cape before finishing at the Osage Centre.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627