Thank for making the Great Race visit a success

On Tuesday, June 22, Cape Girardeau had the opportunity to host a Welcome Party for the 2021 Great Race, which chose Cape as its overnight stop for day four of this year's race.

This was only the second visit by the Great Race since it started in 1983. After winning the Best Overnight Stop award in 2013, the goal of our committee was to raise the bar and provide an even better experience in 2021. Based on feedback we received from race participants, I believe we may have met our goal. Everyone we visited with was overwhelmed by the crowds that turned out to welcome them, not only at the finish line, but all along their route into Cape. They also had nothing but good things to say about the friendliness of our volunteers, our efforts to accommodate whatever needs they had, the quality of the meal we provided, the huge turn out of local vintage cars and on and on.

In my opinion, this event epitomized what Cape Girardeau is all about. I could not have been prouder of the way our entire community pulled together to make our Welcome Party a huge success. Everyone from our local citizens who came out to cheer the racers on to our local businesses who sponsored welcome parties to the local news media who went above and beyond to publicize our event to the city of Cape's police and parks departments who accommodated our every need deserves a big thank you.

I would like to give special thanks to all our corporate sponsors whose financial generosity made this event possible and to the other local businesses who donated their time or services. Finally, I would like to thank Cape Convention and Visitors Bureau, Old Town Cape, the members of our Great Race Committee and all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event happen.

Let's hope the Great Race staff was sufficiently impressed that they will return for another visit in the near future.

Danny R. Essner is chairman of Cape Girardeau Great Race Committee.