Friends are busy in support of Cape Henlopen State Park
The Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park provide valuable services to one of the most visited parks in the state.
At its annual meeting March 9 in the Officers’ Club, the group highlighted its 2023 accomplishments.
The Friends tabulated more than 8,100 volunteer hours with a monetary value to the park of $239,584, said outgoing President John Bracco. He said 30% of those hours were contributed by volunteers who run the bike barn and the borrow-a-bike program next to the Seaside Nature Center.
The Friends provide free bikes for adults and children within the park. In 2022, the group added a new fleet of adult bikes. In 2023, it collaborated with Free Bikes for Kids to add more to the children’s fleet. This year, the Friends plan to add some adult tricycles.
The group also has 11 adults’ bikes and 11 children’s bikes for sale. In order to accommodate all of the new bicycles, the Friends are building an addition onto the Bike Barn.
“This is one of the programs we are most proud of,” said Bracco.
During the year, Friends volunteers staff water stations for running races in the park, coordinate the Hawk Watch, maintain the osprey cam, host an annual youth fishing tournament, maintain the pond at the nature center, do beach fence repairs and trail cleanups, erect signage, provide funds for lifeguard stands, coordinate the park’s disc golf course and more.
Last year, the Friends spent $20,000 on bike loop trail paving, $4,122 for a new beach area sign, $1,400 for bike racks, $2,500 for lifeguard stands and $4,595 to construct a new pole shower at the park’s bathhouse.
Besides merchandise sales, grants and donations, the Friends raise money through several events, including the Chocolate Festival, bird seed sales, a holiday boutique and book fair, a flea market, and wine and cheese tasting event.
Besides its regular monthly trail cleanups and maintenance, volunteers give back to the City of Lewes by cleaning up Cape Henlopen Drive and Savannah Road.
One of the Friends’ major projects is the Thatcher Educational Fund, to cover costs for students to visit the park by paying for transportation and programming.
Three retiring board members were honored by Vice President Polly White, including Bracco, who served as president for six years; Ian Friedland, bike barn and race volunteer coordinator; and Rich Susko, coordinator of merchandise sales.
She said all three have been valuable, dedicated and involved board members, and their contributions to the Friends will continue.
Officers for 2024 include the new President Jeff Underwood, Vice President Polly White, Treasurer Bob Callahan and Secretary Carl Frey.
New board members include MJ Candaux, Suzanne Langwell and Karen Underwood. Re-elected board members include White, Callahan and Dean Johnson.
For more information, go to friendsofcapehenlopen.org.
