LETTERS: TEENS GET POSITIVE HELP

To the editor:

In an age where teens are being labeled Generation X and many businesses are making an effort to make sure teen-agers are not allowed around their doors, the Youth Pastor Alliance wants to thank West Park Mall for its generous part in making the March Madness Lock-in a success. Mr. Govero went over and beyond the call of duty to provide a place for teens to have a great time by providing the mall, security, housekeeping and staff. We also wanted to thank Suzanne for a lot of extra work. The mall security was great to work with -- very patient with 700 teens in a mall all night long. Housekeeping was great with its work and providing plenty of room for us.

We also would love to say thank you to Living Water Bookstore, which provided extra staff and stayed open late to help sell tickets and provided many great door prizes. We also appreciate donations from Burger King, Coca-Cola, Gospel Land and Papa John's.

We also appreciate the Cape Girardeau Police Department for extra security the night of the event to help rest the minds of many parents.

There were numerous churches and adults involved in the setup, ticket sales, phone calls and legwork plus staying up all night to chaperone. Without them, we could not have made it.

We apologize if we missed anyone who made March 7-8 a great success. Thanks again for showing teens you do care about them.

DALE HOLMAN

Youth Pastor Alliance

Cape Girardeau