LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
by Steve Elkins, Editor |
On the one hand I find it hard to believe that this is the Labor Day issue of Letters from CAMP Rehobothon the other hand, I thought it would never get here. As exciting as the summers are in Rehoboth, I must confess that September and October are two of my favorite months and I look forward to having a little more time to enjoy our many great restaurants and the company of friends. With this issue I finally agreed to go up to 128 pages (which will make it the largest one we've ever published) and much to my advertising manager's dismay, I'm sure, we still had to turn down some adswhich is not, of course, a bad problem to have. From the beginning of CAMP Rehoboth fifteen years ago, Letters has helped to pay for our existence and it continues to make many of our programs and services possible. My thanks to all our advertisers for their support this summer.
As I said a moment ago, the Fall season is one of my favorite times of the yearand it's almost as busy as the summer! Looking ahead, the calendar is already full of events including: Delaware Pride, on September 10 at Gordon's Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park; the HTP/CAMP Rehoboth presentation of Lost In His Arms (by Ken Skrzesz and Doug Yetter of Clear Space Productions) at the Atlantic Sands on September 23-24; the YMCA Block Party on Tuesday, September 27 (which this year is moving from Wilmington to Baltimore Avenue); the Celebrity Chef's Beach Brunch for Meals on Wheels at the Baycenter on Sunday, October 2; the 16th Annual Autumn Jazz Festival October 13-16; the Seawitch Festival October 28-30; and the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, November 9-13. Before the season ends, however, we still have Labor Day weekend and Sundance. For information, to buy tickets, or to volunteer for this amazing event, contact CAMP Rehoboth or visit the Sundance Web site at www.sundancebenefit.com. The Sundance Auction is the first night of Sundance (and sells out early). With over 500 items to bid on, food by the Blue Moon, and an open bar, it's a great night that raises a whole lot of money for Sussex County AIDS Council and CAMP Rehoboth. For more about the auction see page 8. Then on Sunday September 4, put on your dancing shoes for the Sundance itself. With dazzling lights, decorations and music it's always a night to remember. On the weekend of August 12-14, Matthew Shepard's parents were in Rehoboth Beach to promote and raise funds for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. As you may remember, Fay Jacobs interviewed Judy Shepard in the July 29 issue of Letters. As part of both the interview and in her speech at the events, Judy expressed the idea that attitudes towards GLBT people on both the east and the west coast of our country were very different from those in the middle, and she explained, the Matthew Shepard Foundation is seeking to teach children about respecting diversitystarting in places like Wyoming. Listening to her speak made me remember why we started CAMP Rehoboth in the first place and how important it is that we all continue our efforts to let everyone know that we are all a part of the same family. Being out is easy in a place like Rehoboth Beach or in the major cities, but the real work, I suspect, is not here anymore, but in places where it still is dangerous to fly the rainbow flag or to hold your partner's hand in public. Perhaps the real challenge is for each one of us to simply carry the idea of CAMPof Creating A More Positive Worldwith us wherever we go. That's what the Matthew Shepard Foundation is trying to do. That's what the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center is trying to do. That's what each of us needs to dowhether on an individual level or as a part of an organization. My thanks to all who have "CAMPed" out with us this summer. I hope to see you all at Sundance 2005. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 12 August 26, 2005 |