Three Days of Events; Multiple Venues, Highlight LOVE 2002 Weekend Benefit

As part of an effort to expand the event offerings and to raise additional funds for the beneficiaries, the LOVE Committee has initiated an expanded full three day schedule of related charity events at five different venues designed to make Independence Holiday Weekend “the hottest weekend at the beach this Summer.”

The main event, LOVE 2002 Ultimate Summer Dance Party! featuring DJ David Knapp is slated for Saturday Night July 6 at the Rehoboth Convention Center. With a capacity of almost 1,500 people for this type of event, the committee, with the help of truckloads of sound and lighting equipment, transforms the Convention Center into one of the largest dance venues on the mid Atlantic coast.

“Obviously, we are very excited to have someone of David’s caliber performing at our event this year, I mean he has performed all over the world from Miami to LA to New York to Tokyo, we know he’ll put on a great show for the attendees. This will be the highlight of our entire weekend. With his music and our great crowd, the lights, sound, and Murray Archibald’s décor design, we should have a very exciting, hot event for everyone,” he added.

The Saturday night Ultimate Summer Dance Party! actually falls in the middle of the event schedule this year. The LOVE Weekend kicks off with the LOVE 2002 Welcoming Party at Cloud 9 on Friday evening from 8 p.m.-2 a.m., and moves to the beach Saturday morning (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) for a small preview of the main Saturday night event. After the main Saturday night event follows the AfterGlow After Party featuring DJ Lydia Prim at the Renegade starting at midnight and running until…. And on Sunday the events move to the Sunday Tea Dance/Teddy Bear Fashion Show and Auction at Yum Yum and the VIP Sponsor host party later that evening at a private residence in town.

“Saturday is the biggest night of related events for us, with our major dance party at the convention center and the AfterGlow After Party event at the Renegade, you can literally dance from sundown to sun up non-stop if you like. Probably the greatest benefit for all our attendees this year is the addition of these new parties and venues.”

Committee members have been quick to point out that the addition of all the new events have increased the amount of excitement related to the LOVE events this year.

“There is no question about it, all the positive feedback we have gotten from so many people about this. We started this process of expanding the event offerings earlier this year, and we have been overwhelmed by the response.”

But Alldredge points out this was not just a committee effort. “All of the participating venues have been tremendously supportive. From Wayne Hodge and Dan Cantarino at the Renegade and Dennio Productions; to Randy Overbaugh at Cloud Nine, Steve Webster over at Yum Yum and of course Rob Dick at the Blue Moon (site of the annual Bachelor Auction that benefits the LOVE events), everyone has been very positive and has helped us find our way as we put these events together.”

There has been talk of some surprises planned for the attendees at several of the LOVE events, but mum appears to be the word.

“Yes, we have asked committee members to keep some of the details under wraps until the night of the events, just to have a little mystery and add to the excitement.” When pressed for details, Alldredge gave a wink and a nod to some of the larger more famous dance events around the country.“ Well, obviously we’re not going to have Cher landing in a spacecraft in the middle of the dance floor, but we are adding some touches that will hopefully have our guests talking about all the fun and what a great time they had at the events and different venues.”

Besides the addition of all the new party events and venues, the biggest change many attendees will notice is the addition of the VIP WEEKEND Pass. This donation level allows attendees express admission to all the LOVE Weekend events plus many perks regular ticket holders do not get.

“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for our VIPs to have a great time, so we did what a lot of other events do, we added the convenience of the pass. Plus our VIP pass holders get a LOVE 2002 T-shirt, a DJ David Knapp CD (first 250), a gift bag from our sponsors, and can attend the VIP Sponsor Host Party, our finale on Sunday evening.”

Initial pass sales have been brisk. “We are delighted at the sales so far, this tells our committee we made the right decision. But we are limiting the number (of passes) and we want to get the word out that we are already almost sold out of the passes with a week to go before the event. Once we sell out of the passes only single event tickets will be available.”

The LOVE Benefit Committee has also added additional information sources about all the related events. This year a new website www.LOVE2002.org has all the latest information including event and venue news, sponsors, beneficiaries, and even online ticketing available. An email newsletter also was started to give weekly updates a few weeks prior to the weekend events.

“We want to do as great a job as possible keeping in touch with anyone interested in our events and of course to relate the positive messages of our two main beneficiaries, the Sussex County Aids Committee and CAMP Rehoboth.”