Dear Friends,
In today’s fast-paced world, Children’s Beach House (CBH) realizes the importance of adults actively supporting and empowering young people. There are a few very specific ways our staff and volunteers thread these efforts through everything we do at CBH.
First and foremost, we encourage active participation of youth. This includes encouraging young people to find their voices, express their opinions and take part in decision making that impacts them. Our job as adults is to listen to their input and instilling a sense of value, belonging, and empowerment. Secondly, adults are constantly looking for ways to share their knowledge, skills, experiences, and networks with kids in both formal and informal ways. These efforts are always youth-driven and youth-focused!
Adults also have a role to play in coaching youth to develop positive relationships. Holding kids accountable for their behaviors as well as helping them to see themselves in the best possible light and pointing out unique qualities are some of the simplest ways adults can set kids up for success in relationships. It’s often very helpful to take opportunities to walk youth through how to make or accept an apology or how to clarify in their own minds what boundaries or limits they want to set within their own relationships.
All of this only works, of course, if as adults we are able to intentionally put the needs of those we serve above our own needs and to intentionally focus on supporting and empowering youth. When practiced in a community of other adults trying to the same things, these skills are sharpened and creative, fun approaches can be explored.
The work we do at CBH is critically important for the positive development of youth and we are honored to be entrusted with these relationships and empowered to develop them by the support of so many who believe in our work.
In deep gratitude for your generous support,
Rich Garrett
We are honored to be the recipient of the 2023 Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award in the Nonprofit Category!
The Ashley Furio 5K Run and Crooked Crawl
A Fun Event That Supports Good Work and Celebrates a Life of Meaning
On October 14, more than 300 runners (and crawlers) hit the pavement for the eighth Ashley Furio 5K Run and Crooked Crawl at Crooked Hammock Brewery. At first glance, the 5K is a fun event, bringing lots of happy runners of all ages and speeds together to support Children’s Beach House. That first glance is a bit deceiving though, especially if your eye skips past the first part of the event name.
If you focus on the first part, on the name of the young woman for whom the run is named, the event takes on a much deeper meaning. Ashley Furio was an accomplished young woman. By the age of 25, she had graduated from the Delaware State Fire School and was certified as an EMT-Basic by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Then she volunteered those skills with the Mill Creek Fire Company and the Lewes Fire Department. All this while she was earning a Certified Nursing Assistant diploma and later while enrolled in nursing school.
These accomplishments were not just numerous. They were also the result of enormous drive, hard work, and ambition. You see, like 31% of all people in the United States, Ashley had to navigate through the terrain of an anxiety disorder. And, like 9.8% of all people in the US, she also managed ADHD. Her trajectory toward and through her many accomplishments, therefore, wasn’t direct or easy. But, thanks to persistent hard work, constant focus on her goals, and the support of family and friends, Ashley persevered in living a life of meaning and service.
So, when she passed away at the age of 25, her parents wanted to honor their daughter in a way that was as active and giving as Ashley was. “People suggested a memorial bench,” Ashley’s mother, Rose, recalls.
“Benches are great, and I love the memorial benches that look out onto the ocean, but that didn’t feel right for Ashley. We wanted something that was active like her, that brought people together like she did. That’s when we thought about a run in her name. Ashley was a runner and runs bring large numbers of people together. That made more sense to us.”
Because Ashley was so engaged in community service, the Furios wanted the run in Ashley’s memory to also benefit a cause they knew she would support. Josh Grapski and Rich Garrahan, good friends of Ashley, recommended Children’s Beach House and connected the Furios to Rich Garrett, CBH’s Executive Director. “CBH was opening the child development center that year and it seemed like a good fit for Ashley’s run to support the preschool,” Rose recalls. “And because Josh and Rich [Garrahan] were Ashley’s friends and are managing partners at la Vida, which owns Crooked Hammock, they wanted to partner with us and host the event.”
“Ashley was a friend,” said Rich Garrahan. “She always sought to spread joy and help others. This event is a way for the Hammock to continue that in her honor and, at the same time, benefit an organization that is doing so much good in our community.”
Since then, The Ashley Furio 5K has been run in partnership with The Crooked Hammock to support the Ashley Nicole Furio Memorial Endowment, which the Furios established to support the Margaret H. Rollins Child Development Center at Children’s Beach House.
The Ashley Furio 5K “is intended to be ‘an event’ not just a run,” says Rose. “We want to bring people together, to celebrate life, to come for the fun, and support an important cause.”
Toward that end, the Furios designed the event to have a range of activities to attract people of all ages, and with varying interests in running. Or none at all.
So, on October 14, runners of all speeds and ages competed in the 5K at their own pace. There is always the option to walk the course – which many did. The course is easy and flat, through residential neighborhoods in Lewes and, because it takes place in mid-October, the weather is nearly always perfect. For folks who want race swag without sacrificing their footwear or knees, there was a third option: Right after the racers and walkers hit the course, non-running “crawlers” lined up at the starting line, looked out on its 5-kilometer expanse, had their photos taken -- and headed back into the Crooked Hammock to celebrate. Support for a good cause can take many forms.
So too did the other event activities. For younger attendees, there was a kiddie run, a face painting booth, a magician, an arts and crafts booth, and The Crooked Hammock’s play area. For adults, there was live music, beer, a massive brunch buffet, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction.
In its seventh year, the Ashley Furio 5K has achieved the Furios’ goal of gathering people together to celebrate life and support an important cause in their daughter’s memory. It has also continued the purposeful and meaning work their daughter so assiduously pursued during her remarkable life of service.
Soccer Comes to the Rollins Center
Soccer Shots Coach Josh teaches important lessons about soccer and life
Get ready, Ted Lasso. Your future team members might be training right here in Lewes, Delaware! That’s because the Children enrolled at the Margaret H. Rollins Child Development Center have started training with Coach Josh from Soccer Shots. And, much like the beloved (albeit fictional) Coach Lasso, Coach Josh teaches his players as much about life off the field (or pitch) as he does about playing soccer on it. Soccer Shots is a national program specifically developed for children eight-years-old and under. Each two-pronged, developmentally appropriate lessons is crafted to focus on teaching a specific soccer skill AND an important character trait. So, during their first session, the kids learned all about ball control (kicking it short distances and passing) and respect (being nice to people, even on the opposing team).
For the next several Wednesday mornings, Team Rollins will be out on the field (or in the large multi-purpose room if it rains) honing their skills – for soccer and for life.
Join us for the Winter Wonder Holiday Masquerade!
Featuring:
- Live music with 33 1/2 Band
- Entertainment
- Hors d’oeuvres
- An amazing dinner
- Live auction
- Massive silent-auction
- Beer, wine and cocktail bars
- An art show featuring local and regional artists
- and as always, a few surprises!
Guests of Friday night’s Holiday Masquerade will have the first exclusive access to view and make purchases from the art show!
Chris Ruggiero’s Christmas concert comes to the Delaware Beaches for one day only!
Experience the magic of the holiday season like never before as this enchanting symphony of joy ignites a spark of warmth and wonder in your heart.
Families are invited to a children’s show on Saturday, December 2 at 3:00 pm where Santa and Mrs. Claus will welcome guests prior to the show! Tickets are $100 per family.
The 7:00 pm show is geared more toward adults with a cash bar available. Tickets $100/ea.