LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
| by Steve Elkins, Editor |
| Every year I marvel at how swiftly the summer seems to pass, and now, with August well underway and Labor Day weekend looming on the horizon, I can't help but do it again. I also can't mention Labor Day weekend without thinking about all the many Sundances we have produced over the years. This Labor Day weekend, I'm pleased to say, we will be celebrating the 21st annual Sundance here in Rehoboth Beach. Sundance is our biggest event of the year, and one of the biggest events in the area. Over the last 20 years it has raised close to two million dollars for Sussex County AIDS Council and CAMP Rehoboth. Besides being a major fundraiser it has also become the way that many of us celebrate the end of the summer season. Please take time to look at the list of our many sponsors, supporters, and hosts on page 8 and 9. Even though times are a little tougher this year than they have been in the past, the people on that list have continued to support our community by their generous donations. Tickets for Sundance are $80 for both nights (auction and dance) or $45 per night, and are available on-line at sundancebenefit.com.
One of the great ways for the CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors and the Development Advisory Board to connect with members of our community is for individuals to host small cocktail or dinner parties for that purpose. Our thanks to Stephani Allison and her partner Judith Gorra for hosting just such an event on August 2. As we work to create the vision and the programs that will keep CAMP Rehoboth relevant in the future, it is vital that we explore a multitude of ways to keep the lines of communication open between all groups and all ages in our community. Good things happen when we come together to share both our joys and our concerns. As both a resident on Baltimore Avenue and a member of Epworth United Methodist Church, I was delighted when the old Epworth building on our street was converted into a theater and not demolished. Besides Epworth events and activities, many CAMP Rehoboth meetings and workshops have taken place in that building over the yearsincluding the community ones that led to the decision to expand CAMP Rehoboth into a full community center. On August 16 the building, or rather the building's occupants, the Theatre of the Arts will continue to support the work of CAMP Rehoboth by donating $10 of every $35 ticket sold to both the 6 p.m. and the 9 p.m. performance of Almost Queen (not that any of us are almost a queen!). For information contact Michael Sprouse at the Rehoboth Beach Theater of the Arts or visit rehobothbeachtheatre.com. When it rains it pours, as the saying goes, and on the same night as the Almost Queen concert, all the proceeds from the bar at the Suzanne Westenhoefer concert (and the Suede concert the night before) at the Rehoboth Convention Center will benefit CAMP Rehoboth. Never let it be said that there's nothing to do in Rehoboth Beach. Tony Burns, by the way, is the only person I know capable of keeping up with it all! With each passing week, the progress on the new wing of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center draws us closer and closer to completion of the project. All summer we've watched the parade of visitors stopping by to keep track of the construction, and I have to confess that I'm one of them. Everyday I have to check out the changes and I know I'm not alone. We're all looking forward to the grand opening, though we have not as yet set a date for it. The buildingand the whole CAMPus for that matteris here because of the generous donations of close to 1,000 individuals. It is a place for the community, built by the community. To all of you who have helped us make this place a reality, thank youand stop by soon to see the progress. |
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LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 11 August 08, 2008 |