Fifteen years ago, a group of us got together to celebrate a tenth
anniversary. The anniversary was for Steve Elkins and me, and the party
was the very first Sundance. That year it was supposed to be an outside
pool party called A Sun Dance, but due to bad weather the event was
moved to the newly opened Strand nightclub on Rehoboth Avenue. There
were 18 hosts that year, and we raised $6,400.
All of that information has, of course,
been told time and time again in the pages of this magazine, and will be
again I’m sure, because Sundance is important to us and we are glad to
have been a part of it from the start. Over the years, Sundance has
raised more than a million dollars. Last year’s event alone cleared
over $165,000, involved over 450 sponsors, supporters, and hosts, and
utilized over 170 volunteers in some way or other. It’s a huge
undertaking, and yet one that brings us all a great deal of
satisfaction.
Every year, I am amazed at the amount of
time people are willing to give. We have volunteers who take vacation
time to come to the beach and become “Sundance slaves,” as we
lovingly call them. We have volunteers that we don’t see all year
long, who show up every Sundance ready to work.
Back when the first Sundance began, our
friends were dying at a horrifying rate. We all felt that we had to take
some kind of action to make us feel less impotent in the face of
something that no one seemed to have any control over. Looking back on
the way things were 15 years ago seems like another lifetime, and yet
within the past two months four more of my friends and acquaintances
have died from AIDS. In this issue there is a memorial page for Vance
Becker, who had been a great supporter of Sundance for as long as I can
remember, and who signed up as a host for this year’s event just a few
days before he died. The battle is not over, and we cannot give up on
our efforts by believing that it is.
Over the years, the focus of Sundance has
broadened to include issues other than AIDS, but AIDS and HIV continue
to be an important part of the event. Sussex County AIDS Committee
depends heavily upon the money raised at Sundance; it is a vital part of
its budget. Without it, SCAC would be very limited in the things it is
able to do for those living with HIV/AIDS.
One of the powerful things about Sundance
for me is the memory of those who once danced at my side, and are with
us no more. Our dear friend John Van Meter was one of the original 18
hosts of Sundance. His last Sundance, he could only make it to just
inside the front door, but he made it. He had to be there because
that’s what he always did on Labor Day Weekend. For many years, our
friend Richard Erskine ran the lights for Sundance. I loved his sense of
drama and the way he could hold the room in a single beam of light, and
then explode it into a million bits of bright color. His death was
painful and long and we still mourn the loss of our man of light.
Another dear friend, Randy Weaver, danced his last Sundance in a
wheelchair. And I miss the outrageous outfits that Tim Leist always made
especially to wear at Sundance. I miss them all—and all the others who
go unnamed but not forgotten.
This year’s Sundance theme is In the
Celestial Circle of the Sunburst Rainbow. Like all my art for this year,
it too is about circles—about remembering all who have made this
journey with us, about remembering who we are. It is about celebrating
the unique thing that each one of us brings to this world. It is a great
gay explosion and celebration of life.
It’s interesting to me that we are
still doing this event after all these years. Steve and I have made
Sundance a part of our lives. So has my sister, Mary Beth Ramsey. She
spends countless hours doing all the graphics and art for the event. She
and her husband Bob were also original hosts 15 years ago. Joyce Felton
and the Blue Moon have done the food for Sundance since the very first
year as well.
Since its first year, Sundance has relied
on a host committee to pay for the event, which allows 100% of the money
raised from ticket sales and auction items to go to the benefactors. As
has been the case for many years, all the money raised will be donated
to local organizations. This year, 60% of the money raised will be given
to Sussex County AIDS Committee (SCAC), 30% to CAMP Rehoboth, and the
remaining 10% to the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Project.
The first night of Sundance, Saturday,
August 31, from 7-10 p.m., is the auction and includes a cocktail buffet
by the Blue Moon Restaurant, an open bar, and over 400 auction items in
both a live and a silent auction. The second night of the Sundance
weekend, Sunday,
September 1, is the dance. Music is by DJ
Mark Thomas and the lights by Paul Turner. Doors open at 8:00 p.m., and
the ticket price includes an open bar for the entire evening.
Tickets for Sundance 2002 are $40 per
night or $60 for both events and are available through CAMP Rehoboth,
Lambda Rising Rehoboth, or on the Sundance Web site, www.sundancebenefit.com.
For
more information about Sundance, to purchase tickets, or to contribute
to the auction, call CAMP Rehoboth at 302-227-5620.
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