LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
SUNDANCE 2000 by Murray Archibald |
For many years as we approach the Labor Day Weekend, I've taken a little time to sit down and write about the upcoming SUNDANCE eventand this year is no exception. SUNDANCE has become such an important part of our lives. As I work on my yearly art show, the theme of SUNDANCE and my show are all intertwined together, and I find that I have to talk about both in order to understand one. This year the theme of my show was Lifedance, taken from the painting by the same namewhich also happens to be the SUNDANCE 2000 painting used on all the graphics and set to be auctioned as a part of the event. Lifedance is about all the things that add color, shape and pattern to our livesboth internal and external. It is also a celebration of our lives, a rejoicing in all the parts that make us who we arethe good, the bad, the beautiful, the painful. In it the red AIDS ribbon cuts a swath across everything else, and yet it too absorbs the pattern and shape over which it moves. I say all of this by way of arriving at the Super-Duper Ultra Iridescent Rainbow Revolution which is the theme of this year's event. It's meant to be fun. It's meant to be a sort of pop explosion summed up by the sixtyish looking asterisk I used in everything this year. Most importantly, it's meant to be a celebration of the dance of lifethe Lifedance, so to speakand part of that dance is the wonderful weird way that paradox and nonsense intertwine in just such a way as to help keep us smiling even in the face of all the frustration, sorrow and pain that can be a part of the world in which we live. Okay, okay...enough of the esoteric artist stuff. SUNDANCE is a party after all. It's a super-duper, end-of-the-summer extravaganza. It's a time when our whole community can get together and celebrate the passing of another season, and at the same time give generously of our time and talents and money for causes that benefit the community in which we live. SUNDANCE, as surely everyone knows by now, was begun as a tenth anniversary celebration for my partner Steve Elkins and me. It was begun as a celebration of love and it remains a celebration of lovenot just for us, but for everyone involved. Over the years, that everyone has grown to include the over 450 Sponsors, Supporters and Hosts who make the event possible. It also includes the army of volunteers who sell tickets, pick up auction items, work the door, create the graphics, prepare food, and decorate the roomamong other things. I am a firm believer that it is the love that lives in the heart of this event that has caused it to continue to grow and expand over the years. This year is the thirteenth SUNDANCE, and looking back over the previous twelve I am filled with amazement at all the wonderful experiences and friendships that have grown out of this event over the years. That first year, back in 1988, a handful of friends got together and planned an outdoor pool party that we called A Sun Dance. That event was rained out and so we moved it to the newly opened (and now lost to legend) Strand. In the process we raised $6,400 that went to benefit The Schwartz Housing Program of Whitman-Walker Clinic in D.C. and HERO of Baltimore. Last year we cleared $145,000 that benefited SCAC and CAMP Rehoboth. In fact, in the thirteen years of its existence SUNDANCE has cleared over $725,000. Last year it was even voted "Best Fundraiser in the State of Delaware" by the readers of Delaware Today magazine. It's been an interesting journey over the years to watch the progress of SUNDANCE. Some years stand out more than others. More often than not, the years have all run together into one big SUNDANCE watercolor of a memory. It's always been the last hurrah of the summerthe last chance we have before fall's busy schedules pull everyone back to the city. It is for me one of the most joyful and the most painful moments of the whole year. Painful because we've worked so hard and so long and our bodies are so tired (and maybe not as young as we used to be)joyful because of all the love and support that comes with the successful completion of another year's event. As I look back over the years, there are many faces that I no longer seefriends whose presence we still miss and whose memories haunt the dance floor and wander amid the flashing lights and cocktail chatter. Because of them, we cannot give up the fight and we cannot stop talking about HIV/AIDS or about creating a positive, healthy, caring world for gay and lesbian people. In many ways the act of giving to an event like SUNDANCE is what makes it a special evening for so many, and it's why it becomes such a celebration. It's why it's such a celebration of lifeof the life dancewhy it's such a super-duper, ultra iridescent, sparkling, wonderful, wild, rainbow moment. As I write these words, a mere ten days remain until SUNDANCE. This is always the time I get a little stressed out and anxious and I sometimes want to scream out, "what am I doing this for?" But then, just when I feel the worst, someone walks into the CAMP office with an especially wonderful auction item, or a large donation, or just a kind word and a big hug of encouragementand I remember. I remember why we're doing this, and why so many people are helping us to do this thing we call SUNDANCE. On the first Sunday night of September, I'll dance the SUNDANCE, and when I do I will remember my friends who are gone and I will celebrate with my friends who still dance at my side and within the range of my vision. For some, perhaps SUNDANCE is just another party, but for me, I know that as I catch the eye of many of the people there on the dance floor, I will see a real reflection of the life dancea real reflection of the love and the friendship and the memories and the future and the celebration that will, indeed, make it a super-duper ultra iridescent rainbow revolutionary night. Watch for itI promise that you'll see it too. See you on the dance floor. Once, Twice, SoldThe SUNDANCE Auction The SUNDANCE live and silent auction was not part of the first SUNDANCE experience, but since 1989 it has been one of the reasons why the SUNDANCE benefit is so successful. "The first time Steve suggested adding an auction, I said he was crazy," says Murray Archibald, "But, it worked from the start, and not only worked, it worked well." "The first auction took place the same night as the dance," remembers Murray's sister, Washington artist Mary Beth Ramsey, who coordinated the event. "Everything took place in the upstairs lobby of The Strand. We had no idea what to expect." The SUNDANCE Auction has become an event unto itself. With over 350 items last year, the auction was responsible for nearly half the $145,000 raised at the event. "It's just plain fun," says Natalie Moss, SUNDANCE 2000 Auction co-chair. "There's a wide range of things bid on, and a wide price range as well. With food, an open bar, and a great crowd of people, it's a guaranteed good timeyou can't beat it!" Most of the evening is devoted to the silent auction, but starting at 9:30, when SUNDANCE auctioneer Ben Killebrew steps onto the stage, a few very special items go up for live auction. A big favorite over the years, Abizak's (one of the SUNDANCE 2000 major sponsors) is once again donating almost a whole room of furniture including a beautiful sofa, coffee table, and lamps. Or, if modern is not the direction your home takes, Acropolis is giving a gorgeous antique oak sideboard. For travelers, there's two weeks in a luxury suite in Acapulco during high season, or a weekend for ten at The Beach House here in Rehoboth. Tim Cabrey and WUSA-TV have donated a spectacular ten Superbox tickets to the Tina Turner/Joe Cocker concert at the MCI Center on October 7. And just to keep you well dressed for a night on the town, Carlton's has donated a beautiful Joseph Abboud tuxedo, (which rumor has it, will be modeled by one of Rehoboth's summer celebutantes). I.G. Burton Motors has donated an eye catching black and silver Mercedes-Benz bicycle, so you can arrive in style. And it wouldn't be SUNDANCE without a new painting by Murray Archibaldthis year titled Lifedance. "I love it when an item really takes off," says SUNDANCE co-chair Kathy Weir. "It's so exciting to watch the crowd get caught up in the moment." That moment comes on Saturday, September 2 of Labor Day weekend at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center when the doors open at 7:00 p.m. The evening includes a cocktail buffet by the Blue Moon, and an open bar. Tickets for SUNDANCE are $50 for both nightsthe dance is Sunday, September 3 from 8 p.m.- 2 a.m.and $35 for one event. They are available at CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Avenue, on our SUNDANCE Web site: www.sundancebenefit.com, or with a credit card by phone at 302-227-5620. Numbered SUNDANCE 2000 Prints Available at CAMP Lifedance, Murray Archibald's SUNDANCE 2000 painting is sure to be an exciting part of this year's SUNDANCE Auction. As in the previous four years, signed, limited edition prints of that painting are being sold for $45. Because the cost of the prints has been generously donated to SUNDANCE, 100% of all the money raised from their sale will be given to the benefit. For those who missed out on other years, additional prints may be purchased, two for $75, three for $100, four for $120 or the entire set for $135. Stop by CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Avenue, or call 302-227-5620 to order prints. Cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard and American Express accepted. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 12, Aug. 25, 2000. |