With this issue of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth we are two-thirds of the way through our 2019 publishing season, and counting down the remaining weeks of summer. Unbelievably, after this issue, there are only two more summer issues and then we’re back to our monthly publication schedule. This issue explores the theme “local heroes,” and our feature spotlights a few of the many community members who fit into that category.
Anyone brave enough to run for public office is a hero in my eyes. Let me amend that statement, most people who run for office are heroes in my eyes. There are notable exceptions, but not among the six candidates running for two City Commissioner seats this summer. The candidates are Mark Betchkal, Edward Chrzanowski, Charles Garlow, Susan Gay, Gary Glass, and Suzanne Goode. As is our custom every summer, this issue features our annual Letters from CAMP Rehoboth Candidate Forum. We asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. Check out their answers before heading to the polls to vote. The Annual Municipal Election is Saturday, August 10, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Avenue.
On Friday, July 26, the Rehoboth Beach Homeowners’ Association (RBHA) and CAMP Rehoboth will sponsor a live Candidate Forum at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. The moderated Forum will last about 90 minutes and provides an excellent opportunity to hear the candidates speak up on issues important to them, and decide who best represents our community. My thanks to Charlie Brown, President of RBHA, for his excellent leadership in organizing the Forum.
At this point in the summer, CAMP Rehoboth staff members and our Sundance Team Captains have been busy signing up Hosts, Supporters, and Sponsors; Sundance Auction solicitations have begun; and volunteers are signing up to provide the tremendous support an event this size requires. The people power needed to turn the cogs in the Sundance production machine still astonishes me. The best part for me is the pride that everyone takes in pulling it all together. Food, music, décor, bar, Hosts and Sponsors, volunteer coordination, the scale of the auction, the fun of the dance—Sundance is built on community. Sundance is a celebration of community. It is an end-of-the-summer gathering of the tribes of Rehoboth Beach. A time to dance. A time to celebrate. A time to remember those we have lost. A time to welcome a new generation. Sundance is CAMP Rehoboth’s biggest fundraiser. It supports the work of our organization and provides services and programs for the community around us. Best of all, it’s just plain fun. Tickets, ticket packages, and all Host/Sponsor ticket levels are available at camprehoboth.com. Let’s dance!
Keeping up with all the programs, activities, events, and services provided by CAMP Rehoboth is a full time job. Really, that’s not just an expression. It is a full time job. In late spring, our newest staff member, Communications Manager Mary Shockley, was tossed head first into the summer season. Trial by fire, as the saying goes. Mary is not the only one to face the busy summer season head-on. A word of thanks to all the CAMP Rehoboth staff—Monica Parr, Sal Seeley, Barb Ralph, and Tricia Massella—as well as our Letters Production Team, Fay Jacobs, Marj Shannon, and Mary Beth Ramsey.
Looking ahead, on August 11, from 5-7 p.m., the famous—I probably should say infamous—CAMP Rehoboth Bachelor Auction returns to Aqua Grill. Admission is free, but come early for a good vantage point and be prepared to bid on a favorite bachelor or bachelorette. It’s all in good fun, and if it gets a little naughty from time to time, all the better. Then on August 25, kick off the Sundance week with the Sundance Land and Sea Racing Festival. Run, walk, swim, or sashay away. Costumes are always encouraged, but the race is serious business. Register online at seashorestriders.com. The pace only lets up a tiny bit after Labor Day. October 11, Sweet Baby J’ai returns, and don’t miss the CAMP Rehoboth Block Party on October 20.