LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth The Way I See It by Steve Elkins, Editor This is the 4th of July issue of letters from CAMP Rehoboth, and as i seem to do at this time every year, I find myself wond
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
This is the 4th of July issue of letters from CAMP Rehoboth, and as i seem to do at this time every year, I find myself wondering how the summer can pass so swiftly. One look at the calendar, however, and the answer is obviousthere's always something happening. Though the summer season officially begins on Memorial Day, it's the 4th of July when things really start to heat up, so to borrow a line from our CAMPsafe program"have fun, play smart, and CAMPsafe" in all that you do.
For the last ten years, the 4th of July weekend has been about love, and that tradition continues this year with four days of Love related events and activities. The two biggest are, of course, the Love 2004 Retro Ball on Friday night, and the Love Main event on Saturdayboth at the Rehoboth Convention Center. At the Retro Ball, DJ Mark Thomas (who used to keep us dancing all night long at the Saint in NYC) will be joined by diva Bonnie Pointer for a not-to-miss night of fun. At Saturday's Ultimate Love Dance Party, DJ Julian Marsh has even created a special version of Love's Theme just for Love. Admission includes an open bar all night. Each event is $45, or $80 for both. Or you can buy a VIP pass for $135 which provides admission to all the related Love Weekend events and activities, plus a t-shirt and gift bag. On Saturday, July 24, the curtain on the Rehoboth convention center stage will open on the third annual CAMP Rehoboth Folliesan outrageous evening of amateur skits that benefits CAMP Rehoboth. If pre-event sales (and the last two years) are any indication, this will again be one of the hottest tickets of the summer, so make your reservations now. Preferred seating is availableSponsor (4 tickets/$300) or Host (2 tickets/$100). General admission is $25. For the last several years CAMP Rehoboth has joined with other area organizations and businesses to help sponsor the Rehoboth Beach Main Street's July 4th Fireworks display on the beach. It's the perfect way to wind down at the end of the busy holiday weekend, so grab a blanket or a beach chair and stake out a spot in the sand. For an even more spectacular view (and $50) you can buy a ticket to "The Works" party in the Atlantic Sands. For reservations call 302-227-2772. Last week my niece Amy and her husband Andy came for a visit to Rehoboth from their home in south Georgia where Amy teaches first grade and Andy is a high school football coach. We had a great time showing them around town; eating at some of the many wonderful Rehoboth restaurants; and winning prizes at Funland for their daughter Elizabeth (who knew that you could actually get one of those little rings over a coke bottle, or that the stuffed Shrek came in such a large size). Anyway, my point in all this is not just that we had a good time, but that it was one of those times when you know that good things are happening. Rehoboth is, to a certain extent, an extension of the "gay ghettos" of the nearby major cities, and while it is not an almost all gay environment like Cherry Grove or The Pines on Fire Island it is certainly not an ungayfriendly (if I can use such a word) place. The same, I'm sure, could not be said for Hazelhurst, Georgia, where Amy and Andy live. And yet the two of them are in the perfect place to be able to make a difference in the community where they live. Not long ago, Mark Acito in his Letters' column reminded us that young people hear approximately 25 gay slurs every dayand sometimes even from their teachers. Like Dorothy's visit "over the rainbow," Amy and Andy returned home, I think, with a different perspective on the worldand as teachers they are in a place where they can share it. |