Cape Girardeau's city work force got stronger Saturday with some help from about 250 volunteers who weeded, mulched, planted and cleaned up debris at six city park facilities.

For parks and recreation department director Dan Muser, it was a meaningful boost for his staff of 42 full-time workers and a couple hundred seasonal employees. He said Saturday's additional labor for the annual Friends of the Park Day translated into 500 hours of work.

"The purpose is to supplement our labor force," Muser said. "It's good to stimulate public interest for volunteerism."

About 15 groups signed up to participate in Friends of the Park Day held at Fort D, May Greene, Kiwanis, Dennis Scivally and Capaha parks plus Jaycees Municipal Golf Course.

"Some groups unable to attend today, volunteered yesterday and last week," said Brock Davis, Cape Girardeau park supervisor. "They spent time cleaning up trash and limbs at Cape La Croix Trail from the Osage Center to Shawnee."

Jessica Cannon of Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional music fraternity for women, called her group's contribution an annual community service project.

"We're troopers," Cannon said. "We were out here when it was pouring down rain last year. We have a good time doing this."

The 20 fraternity members sang while weeding and mulching more than 40 flower beds in the Capaha Rose Garden.

Ken Aufdenberg, employed by the Council of Garden Clubs, supervised the fraternity and followed up by raking mulch away from the bush's bases to discourage disease.

Garden Council Club members, Nadine Davis, Nancy Bahn, Barbara Blanchard and Anne Foust mulched a new azalea garden just planted Wednesday.

Members of Southeast Missouri State University student government worked about an hour and a half and then waited for the food to be ready.

"My back is talking to me now but the pain is well worth it," student government president Dane Huxel said. "It feels great to give back to the community."

Dee Kinder and her daughter, Kaylee, started out by the train at Capaha Park, continued at the pool house and were planting flowers at Cherry Hill pavilion by mid-morning. They've participated for four years. Dee Kinder was determined to finish planting and mulching the 12-foot round bed, assisted by Evening Optimist Club members.

On the south side of Cape Girardeau, at the intersection of Fort and Locust streets, Fort D volunteer labor included loyal Civil War buffs, dedicated students and people seeking a challenge.

Sigma Phi Epsilon members at Fort D were dubbed "mighty muscle" for emptying wheelbarrows full of debris from the Fort's caved-in roof.

"We chose this place to do our community service because we think this place is pretty cool and it was in the worst shape," fraternity member Tom Asher said. "We can actually see the difference we've made today."

Fort D cleanup coordinator Scott House received help from former students at Seckman School in Imperial, Mo. The retired educator's former sixth-graders now attend Southeast Missouri State University and decided to help House clean.

One of them was Holly Dunlop. She quietly scrubbed the brass plate free of green discoloration to better serve as a welcoming sign to future Fort D visitors.

"Within six months we plan to have interpretive displays along the sidewalks so that people who come here can understand why this [Fort D] is here and explain its meaning," said House, a member of the Civil War Roundtable group.

"The city is doing an outstanding job maintaining the grounds," said Dub Suedekum.

Plans to rescue the fort from any further ruin will take the work of yet-uncalculated volunteer hours.

"We're moving as fast as volunteer labor can," House said.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133