Children’s Beach House unveils Greater Good Events

Weddings can be costly, but that pill might be easier to swallow if you knew a portion of your money is going to a worthy cause.

That’s what’s being offered by Greater Good Events in Lewes.

Based out of Children’s Beach House on Lewes Beach, the new catering arm of the organization provides quality food, space and event planning for weddings, fundraising events, corporate retreats and other events of varying sizes.

The team is led by Meg Gardner, a powerhouse in the Cape Region restaurant scene for the past 20 years. As the head of Blue Moon’s catering business, Gardner had already been working closely with Children’s Beach House for more than five years.

“It was sort of a pinch-me moment when we got to the point where I was actually being offered a position,” Gardner said. “I can really combine my passion for the programs – and these kids that I really have come to know – and my love of catering and events.”

The Children’s Beach House mission is to offer programing to children with special needs, hoping to aid them in reaching their highest potential. The organization was founded by Lydia Chichester du Pont in the 1930s.

Executive Director Richard Garrett said the organization began developing the idea of adding event planning and catering about a year and a half ago.

“We were being challenged by our trustees to look at some things that we might be able to monetize to drive some new revenue for our mission,” he said.

The idea was initially snubbed by some restaurateurs in the area. That is, until they heard who the organization had in mind to lead the program.

“It just so happened that her dream and our dream collided,” Garrett said of Gardner. “She came not just with 20 years of experience, but with 20 years of an incredibly strong reputation.”

For many years, Children’s Beach House did not permit any outside use of its beachfront property. About five years ago, Garrett said, they allowed groups to rent the facility as long as it did not conflict with programming.

“It’s a much, much different energy now than five years ago,” Garrett said.

The facility has hosted weddings as large as 250 people and other events with about 500. What makes the facility so unique, Gardner said, is that it’s very adaptable to changes in weather.

“We have immediate on-site backup space if there's inclement weather, if a tent can't go up because of high winds,” she said. “We have the ability to turn around and immediately do something inside.”

Garrett said the various rooms in the house can also serve as a weekend-long venue for couples and their families, starting with a rehearsal dinner, then reception and finally a day-after brunch.

But the facility isn’t limited to just weddings. Once COVID subsides, Gardner said, she’s excited about hosting corporate retreats.

“It’s sort of one-stop shopping in the sense that you can come here with your group and we can do breakfast or lunch, we can do a bonfire on the beach, we can go high-end with it,” she said.

Children’s Beach House also has a program called the Educere Institute that offers professional development courses in leadership, communication, conflict resolution, cultural competency and even customized training.

“I’ve always loved the planning process of building a team, so I love the idea of doing that on a corporate event level, too,” Gardner said.

The catering program isn’t limited to on-site events, as Gardner said they have the ability to take the show off campus to places like Nassau Valley Vineyards, Covered Bridge Inn, The Overlook or even someone’s back yard.

To learn more about Greater Good Events, go to greater-good-events.com. For more information about Children’s Beach House, go to cbhinc.org.