Thursday evening, February 19, friends, volunteers, board and committee members of Old Town Cape gathered in the Event Center at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau for an evening of fun and to make some well-deserved recognitions. This annual spectacle helps raise awareness of what this organization is all about, highlights some of the downtown happenings of the year prior and looks forward to the excitement of the coming year. At this year’s Annual Dinner, we did just that!
Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, one of our main event sponsors, always helps pull together a fantastic event. Dinner started with a lovely beet and mandarin orange salad, which, I learned, is a work of art in itself. Each salad was adorned with cucumber slices in a specific arrangement. When the salads were set, the cucumbers had to be at particular positions in the place setting. Little details like this really make the event over-the-top! After salad came a mouth-watering entrée of beef marsala with crimini mushrooms and crispy sesame chicken with asian pesto. Perfectly manicured carrots adorned each plate and made for a stunning presentation. Last, but certainly not least, individual Chinese takeout boxes were brought out that housed two chocolate covered strawberries, glistening with shimmery gold dust. If you weren’t able to make it, you definitely missed a spectacular dinner!
The Isle does have a beautiful Event Center, but the help of volunteers Teresa Maurer and Sally Suchman, owner of Muriel’s Garden, the space was transformed into an elegant venue. Towering centerpieces of painted branches nestled in eifel tower vases gave each table dramatic personality. The black and silver color scheme kept the palette very clean and professional. A lighted ice sculpture, generously donated by Mark Dirnberger, owner of Bella Italia, helped give prominence to the stage and awards area. Low lighting and soft dinner music added to the warm ambiance. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting to honor the achievements of some of our most dedicated volunteers.
Speaking of honors, we presented four recognitions during the main program. While our organization is overflowing with talent, dedication and love from some of the best volunteers around, a handful of them stood out for their accomplishments in 2014.
Did you know Old Town Cape sponsors two scholarships? Well, now you know. The primary funding source for both allotments sprouts from the tender loving care that Bill Dunn pours into Old Town Cape’s Scholarship Garden. It seems only fitting to honor the one who helps sustain this offering by renaming the Old Town Cape Scholarship to the Old Town Cape William Dunn Scholarship. Volunteer for us and you never know what kind of recognition you may receive!
If you were as skeptical as we were about the future of the ‘Old Federal Building’ at 339 Broadway, things didn’t look good. They didn’t look good until Janus Development Group swooped in and transformed what was once a white elephant property into a booming hub of commerce and creativity. Since they purchased the building in May 2014, critical structural and cosmetic upgrades have transformed this historic structure into a vibrant opportunity for 13 businesses. Have you heard of Codefi, Cape Girardeau’s first co-working community? They call this building home, along with a group of attorney’s, several photographers, and other specialized retail and professional entities. The excitement these changes have brought to the building are now spilling over and spurring development around the building as well. We couldn’t think of a better fit for the Adaptive Use recognition than Janus Development Group.
When you think of an excellent downtown business, probably an established retail outlet or one of our awesome restaurants comes to mind. While we do have some exceptional businesses that fall under these categories, this year’s Business Excellence Award went to a slightly different recipient. Thomas R. Higgins Accounting, LLC has thrived in downtown for more than 30 years. Tom Higgins, owner, has immersed himself and his business in all things downtown by being involved in several of our organizational committees, staying active in downtown development, his ownership and revitalization of one of downtown’s ‘old buildings’, by offering his business services to a host of area groups and entities, by being one of the first board members of our organization and serving his post for fifteen years. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything Tom and TRH Accounting has contributed to downtown, Old Town Cape and our community. Job well done, sir!
What does it mean to be a visionary? Someone who is dedicated, committed, a leader, someone who helps develop opportunities – what it takes to earn the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award. This individual is someone who is immersed in what they’re passionate about, often leaving a lasting impact on the groups and entities they support – the basis of our Volunteer of the Year Award. For only the second time ever, we have combined these to honor the efforts of one special volunteer, James D. (Jim) Maurer. Jim has been involved with the Discovery Playhouse from the very beginning. He and his wife Teresa are major supporters and organizers of Christmas in Old Town Cape. Jim has served on our Board of Directors and numerous committees for six years. After that, he became Chairman of the Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District steering committee and worked tirelessly for four years establishing the district, services and funding. Jim has embraced what it means to love and nurture our downtown, and we are truly blessed to have him as an advocate and ambassador for our organization.
We welcomed two new board members:
Trae Bertrand – Bertrand Law Firm Emilie Stephens – Annie-Em’s at Home
The evening was perfect! A great dinner, a great venue, a fantastic group of attendees and some well-deserved recognitions. We are incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic team of supporters and volunteers. 2015 is sure to be fantastic with such dedication and support!
Thank you to our wonderful event sponsors:
