The Lodge at Truitt Homestead

For a second consecutive year, the Lodge at Truitt Homestead hosted the Summer Solstice on the Terrace, a fundraiser benefiting CAMP Rehoboth. The event raised a total of $13,072.15 for CAMP Rehoboth.

The lovely evening featured hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and live entertainment. The Truitt at Homestead Lodge also hosted a silent auction and 50/50 raffle, with all proceeds supporting CAMP Rehoboth.

The requested all-white attire made for a very festive evening, and the guests celebrated the gorgeous night socializing and enjoying the camaraderie. ▼

MARK YOUR CALENDARs
Battle of the Bachelors 

Returns August 14 

The 13th annual Battle of the Bachelors will return to Aqua Bar & Grill on August 14, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Join us for a bevy of beauties, great prizes, and special surprises. The renowned Lorne Crawford will once again auction off the models, and Kristina Kelly will hostess. In the Battle of the Bachelors, bachelors (and one bachelorette), wearing swimsuits supplied by Beach Essentials, compete to see who can raise the most money for CAMP Rehoboth. The funds raised directly benefit CAMP Rehoboth’s community-support programming.

Be sure to arrive early for a good spot at the venue. Or check out the fun event from the Top of the Pines. 

Thank you to our host Aqua and our swimsuit sponsor Beach Essentials. ▼

CAMP Rehoboth Awarded Grant

In July CAMP Rehoboth learned that it was awarded a $160,000 grant from the state of Delaware. The award is part of the General Assembly’s allocation of $90 million within the bond bill’s Community Reinvestment Fund, a capital grant program for local and community-based nonprofit organizations.

“CAMP Rehoboth is appreciative of the decision to invest in us,” said Leslie Sinclair, who is a member of CAMP Rehoboth’s board of directors and was instrumental in putting the grant together. “We express our thanks to the Joint Committee on Capital Improvements Chair, Representative Debra Heffernan, and Co-Chair Senator Nicole Poore, and all the members of the committee. In addition, we acknowledge others who supported us, including Senator Sarah McBride, Representative Eric Morrison, Senator Marie Pinkney, Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, and many others.”

Plans are being developed, and work will begin soon on high-priority capital repair projects at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. The improvements will increase energy efficiencies with resulting cost savings, enhance space used for the delivery of vital CAMP Rehoboth services, and include several other renovations aimed at preserving the integrity of the property.▼

Upcoming ME Festival 

The first ME Festival, led by I AM ME and sponsored by CAMP Rehoboth, is scheduled for Saturday, August 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at The Green, Dover. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies are invited to enjoy this fun, festive, outdoor family event. The I AM ME Corporation was created in January 2020 to uplift and unify the Delaware LGBTQ+ community and its allies by providing safe spaces, educational resources, health services, and support. Learn more at iammecorp.org. ▼

Two SUNFESTIVAL Auctions!

The SUNFESTIVAL Virtual Auction starts on Saturday, August 27 and ends on Saturday September 3. Sign up to bid at https://sunfestival2022.ggo.bid. 

The Live auction, featuring auctioneer Lorne Crawford, will commence before the Judy Gold headline show on September 3 at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

Two exciting Live auction items:
▶ Two tickets to Lizzo on September 27 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, PLUS a hotel stay.
▶ An Adventure Bears Cruise for Two: 8 nights to Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao, October 14-22, 2023. ▼

Salisbury Pride

CAMP Rehoboth was proud to have a presence at many local Pride events throughout June, including Delaware Pride in Dover and Milton Theater’s Pride events in mid-June. On Saturday, June 25, the month-long celebrations finished strong at the Salisbury Pride Festival.

Magnolia Applebottom was the headliner and grand marshal, and other entertainers included Jerome Kelly, Vicky Fischer, and Sista Big. In addition to showcasing a table there, CAMP Rehoboth joined the Pride Parade that started at 2:00 p.m., with the festival and its performances commencing at 2:30 p.m. 

While Pride celebrations in June are a fantastic way to bring the community together, promote the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community, and celebrate spaces inclusive for all sexual orientations and gender identities, CAMP Rehoboth encourages all to celebrate Pride all year long. ▼

Laganja Presents the Check

Each Wednesday this summer, northbeach, a Dewey Beach music and dance venue, is raising funds for CAMP Rehoboth via a $5.00 cover charge to the Wenzday Night Drag Shows. On June 27, a special check presentation, featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Laganja Estranja, celebrated the first full month of shows. (Laganja will return to the Dewey hotspot two more times this summer.) In June, the shows raised $2,975 for CAMP Rehoboth. ▼

⊳ Travels with Letters ⊲

Celebrating 25th anniversaries in Prague & Budapest
L-R: Marilyn Blake, Jeanette Emslie, Candy Zientek, Susan Tobin, Cathy Martinson, and Marilyn Miller.

Delaware Reports First Case of Monkeypox 

On July 12, 2022, the Delaware Division of Public Health announced the state’s first case of the monkeypox virus (MPX). This positive case is considered probable pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 41-year-old Delaware man diagnosed with MPX is believed to have been exposed to the virus after intimate contact with an individual in early July.

MPX is a rare disease caused through infection with the monkeypox virus. It can make you sick, causing a rash, which may look like pimples or blisters, often with an earlier flu-like illness. 

For more information on MPX, including prevention, causes, incubation period, symptoms, and treatment see: https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/epi/emerginginfectiousdiseases.html.▼