SPONSORS MAKING THE EVENT

The emergence of Boyd Gaming Corp. and Lady Luck has turned into a windfall for the Cape Girardeau Riverfest.

"Both groups have given us a real shot in the arm," said Peggy Barringer, Riverfest president. "With Boyd and Lady Lucky contributing to the cause, it helps us make this an even better celebration."

Boyd Gaming originally planned to bring a pirate ship to the site where it plans to build a casino but high water kept the wooden vessel from leaving Texas.

"It would have been nice to build the Riverfest around the pirate ship, but like anything else you have to move on to the next best thing," said Barringer. "The Boyd group decided to just put the money it was going to spend on the pirate ship to the Martina McBride concert," said Barringer.

Martina McBride is the headliner for Riverfest '94. "That act alone is costing $8,000, so you can see how we would need some help bringing that to the Riverfest," said Barringer.

Lady Luck will help the Riverfest cause by sponsoring the fireworks display, which will take place at 9, just prior to McBride's performance Saturday night. The fireworks will be launched from a barge on the Mississippi River.

"Corporate sponsorship from Boyd Gaming and Lady Luck has enabled us to bring more entertainment to this Riverfest than any we've had so far," said special events coordinator Janie Ervin. "We've got two headline acts, one Friday and another on Saturday, and also bands leading up to those acts," said Ervin.

Ervin said the pirate ship likely will be a part of Riverfest '95. "We've already made arrangements to bring the ship to next year's Riverfest," she said.