Lifeguard awards event set at Big Chill Beach Club Aug. 17

The Big Chill Beach Club and La Vida Hospitality, in collaboration with the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce, will host the 2017 Lifeguard Award Celebration at 6 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 17. This annual event honors the outstanding men and women of the local lifeguard patrols including Bethany Beach, Delaware Seashore State Park, Fenwick Island, Middlesex Beach, North Bethany Beach, Sea Colony and South Bethany. Each patrol also nominates a Lifeguard of the Year, selected by the captain. Each is honored individually during the event and receives a customized cornhole set, sponsored by Atlantic Shoals.

The celebration with music and games will kick off in the party tent at newly opened Big Chill Beach Club. The chamber will also present checks for $500 to the towns of Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island and South Bethany to help fund continued lifeguard service on the weekends after Labor Day, the traditional end of lifeguard season. "Our lifeguards have a significant responsibility to protect those who enjoy the Quiet Resorts beaches," said Executive Director Kristie Maravalli. "The chamber is honored to recognize their work, as tourism is an economic driver in our region, and safe beaches are crucial to the industry."

Each guard will attend the event for free, due to the generosity of signature sponsors Anne Powell + Associates and Coastal Tented Events; patrol sponsor Banks Wine & Spirits; supporting sponsors Bank of Ocean City, Bethany Area Realty, Creative Concepts and John F. Kleinstuber; and associate sponsors Hugh Hickman & Sons and One Coastal. For more information, call 302-539-2100 or go to www.thequietresorts.com.