Twan Robinson spent Friday morning preparing for a special event next week at the Cape Civic Center. The Bootheel Youth Museum at Malden is bringing its traveling show to the center.

The hands-on exhibit is free and open to everyone. Large groups should call ahead to help scheduling.

The youth museum exhibit is precisely the type of event Robinson, new director of the Civic Center, wants to see.

"This is what the Civic Center is all about," said Robinson.

With Robinson on board as full-time director and a number of programming grants secured, the Civic Center seems headed on the right track, said Tamara Zellars Buck, president of the center's board of directors. The next hurdle is retirement of the center's debt.

The center has launched a capital campaign to pay off its mortgage. The goal is $50,000. If achieved, the center would be debt free.

"Any money we raise over that $50,000 would be used for repairs and improvements," Robinson said.

Since 1959, the center has provided educational and recreational activities for youths, with emphasis on assisting disadvantaged families. The center moved to 232 Broadway in August 1982.

The center receives program and administrative funding from three major sources. The Bootheel Initiative has provided $30,000 to pay the salary of the director. In addition, three grants for programming totaling $18,500 come from Cape Girardeau's Weed and Seed program. Area Wide United Way will provide $12,000 in funding for programs and operations.

But none of the money is designated to pay the mortgage, Robinson pointed out.

NationsBank holds the mortgage note, which matured June 21, 1997, and is due in full. The bank has allowed the center to postpone payments over the years as the center struggled financially. Over the years the center's board of directors has investigated a number of alternatives to pay the mortgage, Buck said. A capital campaign seems the best choice.

The 12,000-square-foot building includes office space, classrooms, bathrooms, a meeting room and a concrete floor gymnasium. The building is used throughout the years for a variety of programs and by various community organizations.

Some 250 youngsters a week from throughout the city attend the After School Homework and Literacy Club. Agencies like the Cape Girardeau Public Library, Cape Girardeau School District, Narcotics Anonymous, Prince Hall Masons and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People use the building for meetings. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also organized through the Civic Center.

"The Civic Center is giving to the community in so many ways," Robinson said. "I want to see that continue. The Civic Center is necessary and needed, not just for poor, black kids but for all sorts of children of all nationalities and races and their parents."

Letters announcing the campaign have been mailed to local business owners and representatives of organizations working with the Civic Center.

The capital campaign is on a tight timeline. It must be completed by Sept. 1 so it doesn't interfere with the annual United Way fund-raising campaign.

For information about making a contribution, contact Robinson at (573) 335-7141. She can also schedule groups for the Bootheel Youth Museum.