Event May 7 to celebrate life of ‘Spoonie’ Sponaugle

Family and friends of Stephen “Spoonie” Sponaugle will hold the third annual celebration of his life and benefit event from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 at Nicola Pizza on Route 1 in Lewes. Spoonie, a beloved member of the local community, died suddenly April 20, 2019.

The event has raised $15,000 the last two years to benefit arts and band programs in the Cape Henlopen School District. Proceeds from this year’s event, sponsored by The Starboard and Bethany Blues, will benefit Cape Henlopen School District band program for grades 5-12. Nicola Pizza is donating a portion of every table and bar check to the event. 

The event will feature an on-site, Stephen-themed scavenger hunt with prizes, raffle drawings, including one for $250 cash, a silent auction with a variety of items including a Bourbon and Bites tasting for 10 at Bethany Blues, a wine package, gift cards to JD Shuckers, Frank and Louie’s and SoDel Concepts and many more. Freshly Squeezed, Spoonie’s former band, will play from 7:30 to 9 p.m. after a short program and birthday cake at 7 p.m. Select Cape band members and staff will be featured guests. 

When they began planning this year, event organizers reached out to Steve “Monty” Montgomery of The Starboard and Bethany Blues restaurant groups and offered him the opportunity to help grow the event by becoming lead sponsor. He agreed to donate $5,000 if organizers raised $10,000 - a $2,000 increase from the $8,000 they raised last year.

“We needed a boost to help us grow and we liked the idea of a challenge. We asked Monty and of course he came through,” said Henry “Patrick” Fitzpatrick, an event co-chair.

“We have a long history with the Sponaugle family and cared very much about Steven,” said Montgomery. “When the co-chairs asked us to participate, we were thrilled to join the great work our friends at Nicola Pizza started and help take this event for a truly great cause to the next level.”

“Everyone is very excited to turn out and enjoy Nicola’s great food and drinks and participate in our auction and raffles - all things that help us meet that $10,000 goal,” added Fitzpatrick. “We trust this community will, as always, come together so we can donate a total of $15,000 this year. That’s as much as we raised the last two combined! We’re so proud of that.”

Cape Henlopen High School Band Director Chris Burkhart, who serves as liaison to the event organizers, said the funds have provided incredible opportunities for Cape students. “Some of these funds are used for students to have individual study, which has opened doors for them to be enriched and further their love of music,” he said. “We’re grateful to the event organizers for their passion for supporting these kids.”

“We’re grateful to be able to translate the pain of losing Stephen into good for the community,” said Theresa Sponaugle, Spoonie’s mother. “Music was a huge part of his life and we’re grateful that this event honors his life and helps a program that is so important.”

Those who cannot attend but who wish to donate should send checks made payable to Cape Henlopen School District to Theresa Sponaugle, 32 Eagle Drive, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.

Spoonie was born and raised here at the beach and graduated from Cape Henlopen High School, Class of 1999. He was a fixture in the community, as are his mother and father, Theresa and Bill. His family owned the Dewey Beach Club for many years. In 2001, Stephen graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and he later worked in several area restaurants including The Buttery and Abstractions. Most recently, he was a bartender at the Cultured Pearl and Nicola Pizza. He had a passion for music that started in grade school, playing trombone in the Rehoboth summer band program. He played guitar and trombone for the Delaware Music School, and from 2008 until his passing, he was a vocalist and rhythm guitar player for Freshly Squeezed.