The 13th annual Greyhounds Reach the Beach
This weekend, Oct. 5-7, thousands of greyhounds will visit Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for the 13th annual Greyhounds Reach the Beach weekend. For attendees -who come from all over the country and even abroad - the weekend is equal parts education, networking, socializing and enjoying the local flavors.
For area residents, the weekend offers an opportunity to meet some of these gentle dogs. In fact, several curious visitors - having learned about the breed at Dewey Beach - have gone on to adopt greyhounds of their own.
Many of the area’s retail stores now allow the pets inside, and several businesses have begun extending their seasonal closings until after Columbus Day weekend. Dozens of hotels now allow the greyhounds, and most of their rooms are booked a year in advance. Dog-friendly rooms will be filled from Lewes to Bethany Beach. Rick Shindeldecker, co-owner of Sharky’s Grill in Dewey Beach, notes that Columbus Day weekend sales rival the busiest summer days. Shindeldecker allows greyhounds on the restaurant’s tented deck and lawn area, and he provides water bowls for the pups and a friendly greeting and free coffee to their owners.
Among the weekend’s activities are morning walks on the beach, educational seminars, an ice cream social, a blessing of the hounds and a memorial service to remember greyhounds that have passed.
A popular destination throughout the weekend is the Greyhounds in Art original art show at the Ruddertowne Complex. This year’s show will feature acrylic, sculpture, jewelry and more. There will be a reception with the artists from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, and further details on the artwork and artists are available at greyhoundsinart.com
Canine Good Citizen testing is available and requires advance registration. Sunday brunch at the Ruddertowne Complex includes a raffle benefiting canine cancer research. This year’s brunch speaker is Pat Roberts, who had a major role in rescuing greyhounds from an under-performing track in Mexico. Additionally, Mary Ellen Carlow, development operations manager for the Morris Animal Foundation, will speak on Morris’s Canine Cancer Campaign and what it is doing to advance canine health.
The full 2007 schedule of activities will be posted at most area hotels Columbus Day weekend.
Early Sunday afternoon, George Johnson will begin a cross-country bike ride to raise money and awareness for greyhound adoption. His 60-day ride will take him from Delaware to Florida and then on to California. More information on George and his ride can be found at greytride.greytexpectations.org
In previous years, several large vendor tents were stationed on McKinley Street. Due to a history of flooding in the tents - in fact a 2006 storm left the space too unstable to even set up the tents - all vendors have indoor locations this year. Signs and banners will be located on storefronts, hotels and condos along Route 1 in Dewey and Rehoboth, and several vendors will be inside the Rehoboth Fire Station.
For many of the nonprofit groups at the event, the weekend is their largest annual fundraiser. This year’s event coincides with the annual Dewey-Rehoboth sidewalk sales, so it promises to be a great weekend for shopping in both communities.
Information and registration (only required for greyhound owners) is available at http://adopt-a-greyhound.org/dewey.
Lodging information is available at delawarebeachguides.com. Information on adopting a greyhound can be found at http://adopt-a-greyhound.org or by calling 800-366-1472 or 800-446-8637.
source: capegazette.com
