On behalf of the organizers of Delaware Coast Aid to the New Jersey Shore, we would to thank the numerous volunteers, workers and businesses in our community who donated so much of their time, money and resources to make this event an amazing success. In 12 short days this community came together to create a benefit event on a November evening in Dewey Beach, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in our area since the Gulf Aid benefit on the beach two years ago.
Two years ago we came together to support the damaged Gulf Coast. This time it was much more personal, as we came together to support our neighbors on the New Jersey shore devastated by Superstorm Sandy. Nearly 50 businesses supported the concert and educational event, while over 750 members of our community enjoyed a great evening with an incredible band lineup. Through Delaware Coast Aid, our community has collectively raised over $60,000 for the relief effort in New Jersey, where our neighbors are struggling daily in communities similar to ours.
We are thanking everyone in a two-page ad running in the Friday, Nov. 30 edition of the Cape Gazette. We want to extend a special thanks to Alex Pires and the entire staff at the Rusty Rudder for making this event possible and to Chris Schell of Schell Brothers for kicking off the fundraising event with a huge $10,000 donation. They exemplified the meaning of generosity in their willingness to support whole-heartedly this community event.
To the major donors: The Rusty Rudder, Schell Brothers, Echelon Custom Homes, The Pot-Nets Communities, Resorts Entertainment, PNC Bank, Great Scott Broadcasting, Big Fish Grill, Bethany Blues, Atlantic Horizons, KATI Graphic Design, Delaware Webs, Arena Signs and Kids Cottage - you are incredibly generous in giving so much to coastal communities in need in our neighboring state. To every business that donated their time or money to the cause, we look forward to publicly thanking you with the color ad to appear in the Cape Gazette next Friday. This would never have been possible without you, and we can’t tell you how grateful we and the affected communities are for your support.
To Jenn Jones and the staff of the Center for the Inland Bays, thank you for making this fundraiser possible by facilitating the fundraising process. To the organizers of Project Rebuild and Recover, thank you for attending the event, and we look forward to working with you in distributing these funds to the areas most impacted by Sandy. We are excited about the positive difference our community will make in your communities during your time of need.
Thank you especially to all the members of our coastal community who came out to support Delaware Coast Aid. You have shown what it truly means to live in a community that cares. Finally, thank you to the incredible group of people who spent countless hours behind the scenes making this event possible. You know who you are and your efforts are appreciated from here to the New Jersey shore.
Let us remember that the recovery and rebuilding process for these coastal communities will be ongoing for months and years to come, affecting these communities’ very way of life possibly for generations. Check in with Delaware Coast Aid on facebook in the weeks to come for more information on how you can personally assist the people impacted by this terrible tragedy. We are all part of one community and we here are so fortunate to have been sparred this devastation. It could have been us. Let us never take our way of life and what we have in our wonderful coastal community for granted.
Chip Thompson
Kevin Roberts and the organizers of Delaware Coast Aid
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