STUDENTS GET LIMO RIDES AS GESTURE OF KINDNESS

Cobret Joe, a sixth-grader at May Greene Elementary School, looked out the sunroof of a white limousine Monday afternoon as he and his classmates prepared to tour the neighborhood in style.

Nelson's Limo Service of Cape Girardeau treated the students to limo rides Monday as part of the company's participation in Random Acts of Kindness Week. Throughout the week, free limo rides will be provided to a variety of people including patients being dismissed from St. Francis Medical Center.

But on Monday, sixth-grade students at May Greene School got the royal limo treatment.

"The lady who was the driver kept opening the door for us," Joe said. "She wouldn't let us get out by ourselves. I also liked the phone; I kept calling the lady in front."

The limousine attracted plenty of attention as the youngsters traveled through Cape Girardeau, stopping at their parents' and grandparents' homes.

Student Terrence Smith said: "Everybody started looking at us. They wondered who we were riding in a limo."

"They looked at us like we were rich," said Christina Wolford. "I bet it's the first time a limo has traveled down some of these streets."

Shannon Barrett, driver for Nelson's Limo Service, said her family has always participated in kindness week.

"This year we saw that more businesses were getting involved," she said. "We thought, What can our limo service do?"

The company decided to give away rides.

"This may be a chance of a lifetime for our students," said Barbara Kohlfeld, principal at May Greene.

All the sixth-graders were treated to rides.

The limo rides got the youngsters thinking about kind things they could do throughout this week. Terrence, for example, plans to wash the dishes at home. And more importantly, he said. "I'll show no disrespect to my parents."

To report acts of kindness this week, call the Kindness hotline at (573) 334-5111.