SENIOR FUN FEST SATURDAY

Adults at the Senior Fun Fest on Saturday at the Show Me Center, may feel like children again.

And that's the goal of the event, said Donna Pikey, Senior Fun Fest steering committee member. The Fest, which will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., is free to people 55 and older.

A highlight will be a guest appearance by actress Dawn Wells, better known as "Mary Ann" from the "Gilligan's Island" show. She has appeared on a number of other television shows including "Matlock," "Growing Pains," "Columbo" and "Baywatch."

She has starred in various stage productions and has been a guest on major television and radio talk shows. For more than a decade she has co-hosted and co-produced the Children's Miracle Network Telethon for mid-Missouri.

Wells, a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, will give a presentation at 1 p.m. and share her stories about her career and her clothing line for seniors. She will also be available to autograph "Gilligan's Island" cookbooks.

Cape Girardeau's own Jerry Ford Band will play featuring Pat Blackwell as vocalist. Pikey said there will be music and dancing throughout the day.

Bingo will be one of the biggest attractions with seating for 1,000 Bingo players. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. Other activities will include exhibits, strolling magicians and clowns, and the sounds of the Water Street Six, this area's premiere Dixieland jazz group.

Pikey said it is an enormous job planning the Fest. "It takes about 100 volunteers each hour to run the Senior Fest," she said. "But the volunteer response has been unbelievable; I am amazed." Several hundred volunteers have been trained to work at this year's event.

May is "Older Americans Month" and Pikey said many corporate sponsors have honored the senior citizens by donating prizes and other items for the Fest. Corporate sponsors are: Mercantile Bank of Cape Girardeau, Schnucks, the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on the Aging and Southeast Missouri Hospital.