Though the official first day of summer doesn’t actually arrive until June 21, the Rehoboth Beach high season is already underway. This is issue number six in our 28th season of publishing Letters from CAMP Rehoboth—and the second one on our biweekly summer publishing schedule. The rest will follow at a fast and furious pace, and all too swiftly we will be dancing the Sundance on Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the summer while it’s here! ▽
On Friday, May 17, the Washington Blade celebrated its annual summer kick-off party at the Blue Moon. In the days leading up to that event, Blade Editor Kevin Naff reached out to share the news with me that the Blade Foundation was launching a new journalism fellowship focused on LGBTQ issues in Delaware, to be named in honor of Steve Elkins. Kevin’s words were touching: “Steve Elkins was a longtime friend of the Blade and as a fellow journalist, I think this is a fitting tribute to his legacy.” I was happy to meet Blake Chambers, the first recipient of the fellowship, and look forward to his coverage of issues important to the LGBTQ community in Delaware. See CAMP News for more details about the Blade fellowship—and CAMPshots for photos from the Washington Blade Party at the Blue Moon. ▽
For those of us working to ensure that Steve’s legacy survives without him—and continues to grow—CAMP Rehoboth is a busy place. Over the course of this year, and under the guidance of outside consultants, we will work with the Board, staff, and members of our community to complete a new strategic plan, staff analysis, and succession plan. I will continue to serve as Interim Executive Director through the end of the year. The work of CAMP Rehoboth is keeping me busy, and I’m happy to say that thanks to our Letters Transition Consultant Sondra Arkin, the production of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth has now been safely documented and moved outside the confines of its founders’ heads. In fact we are fully at home in the cloud and far more collaborative than we ever were before. I continue to give thanks for this amazing community and the outpouring of love and support shown to me during Steve’s illness and death. ▽
On May 22, the 2018 Sundance Host and Sponsor forms were mailed to all of our members and supporters. Sundance is our single biggest fundraising event of the year, and its success depends heavily upon the generous support of our many Sundance Sponsors, Supporters, and Hosts. Please signup to support Sundance as soon as possible. All Sundance Sponsor, Supporter, Host, and Ticket levels are available online. Steve was invaluable at reaching out to remind folks in our community to become hosts and sponsors of this event, and his skills will be especially missed as we head into this phase of Sundance solicitation. So save us a call or an email, and signup today. Sundance 2018—Rainbow XXXI: In the Name of Love will be in Steve’s memory. ▽
A quick word of thanks to the organizing team for the CAMP Rehoboth Prom Remix at Atlantic Sands—it would not have happened without them. Special praise for Nancy Hewish, the driving force behind the event! Prom attendees were dressed to the nines and very enthusiastic about the opportunity to dress up and dance. Be sure to check out the Prom Photos in CAMPshots. Thanks as well to Nick Caggiano and the staff at Nicola’s Pizza for raising funds for CAMP Rehoboth and the Rehoboth Beach Fire Company in memory of Joan Caggiano—and to celebrate her favorite charities. See In Brief on page five for details. ▽
For pet lovers, we launched our new CAMP Critters column in the Memorial Day issue of Letters. To have a pet considered for the magazine, email a high resolution pet photo (along with one fun fact about the pet). Submit travel photos with Letters and wedding photos the same way. Happy CAMPing! ▽ Email Photos