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On the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville sits a four-foot tall, two-tier fiber glass birthday cake. The cake is one of 250 throughout the bi-state region, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of St. Louis.

SIUE was chosen to be one of 250 places of distinction in the 15-county region and is part of the “Cakeway to the West” campaign. The cake, located at the entry way of Founder’s Plaza, will be displayed through Dec. 31. It was decorated by Autumn Huff, Heather Kniffel and Carol Dappert of the Graphic Design Office within University Marketing and Communications. An alphabetized list of the sites can be found here.

The 250 sites were chosen based on such criteria as landmark sites, heritage and culture, the great outdoors, local favorites and innovation.

The Cakeway to the West project uniquely mixes a public art exhibit, with a scavenger hunt and a regional history lesson. The result is an exciting way to discover the area, according to Erin Budde, executive director of stl250.

But the fiber glass sculptures won’t just serve as decoration throughout the year.

“stl250 is teaming with Arch Grant recipient Candy Lab  to translate our 250 cake locations into an interactive app where visitors can learn more about each location,” said Budde. “What’s more, users will be able to ‘check in’ at each location and be awarded points, which will then funnel into a leaderboard. Scoring more points makes participants eligible to win prizes, with prize drawings in June and December.”                                                                                                                                            

SIUE property is also home to another stl250 cake. The non-profit foundation selected the site of the Robert Wadlow statue on the campus of the SIU School of Dental Medicine, 2800 College Ave. in Alton. The statue is also located across the street from the Alton Museum of Art.

Wadlow (1918-1940) is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest person in history. Wadlow was 8 feet, 11.1 inches tall.

For more information about stl250 or to vote for a favorite St. Louis spot, visit their Facebook page.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottom land and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of nearly 14,000.

School of Dental Medicine: School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region.

Photo Information:

stl250 chose the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to display one of its 250 birthday cakes.

The site of another stl250 birthday cake is the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton.