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This year’s RCA Summer Music Festival once again brought great music to Bayley Beach and Pinkney Park.Through the continued generous support of local business and individuals in the Norwalk and Darien communities, along with substantial funding from the RCA, we continue to be able to bring top flight talent to Rowayton.
We'd like to thank the many businesses and individuals who make this festival work. This year’s Series Sponsors, who provide our highest level of support, includedDouglas and Warren Real Estate, thank you Megan Douglas and Joe Warren; David Osherow, DDS, offering orthodontics in Darien, thank you Dr. Osherow; Rowayton Wine and the WinePort store in Darien, thank you Marianne McNulty; Raise High Construction, thank you Joe Carter; and HSBC Bank, thank you Martina Tucker.
Additional, important support came from our individual show sponsors. Many thanks to:
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| Mystic Bowie played Bayley Beach |
Photo: Dana Laird |
All-Seasons Marine Works – Ted O’Neill
AltEnergy – Russ Stidolph
Boatyard BBQ & Grill – Frank Gencarelli
Brendans 101 – Christine and Brendan McGee
De Clerq Office Group – Dan De Clerq
Downunder Kayaking – Kim Beaumont
Eaton Partners – Charley Eaton
Ernie’s Restaurant – Hap Taylor
Espresso Neat – Rachel Haughey
Fairfield County Bank – Nancy Romberg
The Glazer Group – Andy Glazer
Liz Beinfield Real Estate – Liz Beinfield
Nielsen’s Florist & Garden Shop – Sandy Nielsen
Rowayton Fuel & Oil – Lee Kiggins
Marc’s Rowayton Market – Marc Poidevin
White Bridge Wines and Spirits – Mickey Interlandi
Rowayton Pizza – Fabio Laurençoni
Rowayton Seafood Fish Market and The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood – Kevin Conroy
Sails American Grill – Terry McSpedon
Sankaty Capital – Chris Lemmer
Tegu – William Haughey
Our Supporting Sponsor, the Doubletree Hotel, provided welcome room and board to some of the performers. For all of our sponsors, please show your appreciation by supporting their businesses. You can link to their Web sites by going to the 2011 RCA Summer Music Festival page on the RCA website.
Additional thanks must go to the Rowaytonites and nearby neighbors who became Festival Fans with generous (and tax deductible) donations. Many thanks to Steve and Jennifer Sterling, Nick and Brenda Ashooh, the Curtin family, Wendy Winnick Baskin and Richard Baskin, John Massey, Bob and Jane Ready, Kenneth Ritt and Pamela Rapp, the Colona family, George Close, Gene and Jessica Rigo, the Haywood family, Don Nash and family, the Coale family, the Sattler family, Matt and Jen Manley, the Hahn family, the Keyes family, Widmer family, Kline family, the Dreas family, and the Jellinek family. Also, thanks to those of you who sent in your donations, but are not listed above because we did not receive them before this was written.
Planning the season and putting on the shows came from the efforts of many people, foremost among them the Summer Music Festival Commitee, including RCA Board members Chris Sovak and Andy Meyerson, as well as Brendan McGee and Matt Manley. Peter Blandori (www.blandori.com) was once again our graphics guy for everything we printed. Scott Kuykendall of Oxygen Design (www.o2design.biz) produced our web pages and email blasts.The great sound was once again produced by InPhase Audio of Wilton, ably assisted in the equipment setups and breakdowns by Chris Sammons. At Bayley Beach, Susan and Melissa Bucciarelli and Luke Wisner for parking as well as volunteers, Ian King, Jesse Paynyer and Jeff Buda made sure the parking was done properly. At both Bayley and Pinkney, Don Wilson helped us keep the grounds in order, and Ed Carlson and Mike Barbis provided welcome counsel on logistics.
Most importantly, many thanks to all of you who come out on Sunday afternoons to help support these great artists and the RCA Summer Music Festival.We had a great time and hope you did too.
See you next Summer!
Chris Sovak, RCA Board Member |
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The annual RCA Comedy Night fundraiser, held back in May, was another resounding success.The sold out crowd of over 350 packed their picnics and met under the big tent at the Community Center for an evening of laughs and dancing. Spirits were high as people caught up and dined with friends after a long winter. The three professional stand-up comedians from New York City had all in stitches. The comedians made for a hilarious evening with nonstop laughs.
When the comedy concluded, the dance floor was hopping to the tunes selected by one of New York City’s most popular DJ.We would like to thank Craig Spinney and the many volunteers and contributors who helped make this event such a great success.
This important fundraiser benefits the Rowayton Civic Association and the proceeds help fund the many programs and sponsorships the RCA provides for our community.If anyone would like to help organize this event for spring 2012, please contact Jill Klein via email or call her at 354-3776. |
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| Photo: Greg Saum |
The weather was perfect for this year’s July 4th celebration and fireworks.AtlasPyrovision once again launched a great fireworks display and King For A Day put on a wonderful show, as spectators crowded into Bayley Beach, nearby beach clubs and the surrounding waters.
The RCA would like to thank the following people and organizations for their help in making the 2011 fireworks a success: Ed Carlson, Rowayton Fire Marshall, the Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department, Chris Sovak and Andy Meyerson, who organize the RCA’s fabulous Summer Music Festival, the Norwalk Police Department, Norwalk Hospital EMTs and key personnel at Bayley Beach, including Don Wilson, Sue and Melissa Bucciarelli, and Lauren Jorgensen.
Rowayton’s fireworks are in large part funded by monetary and in-kind contributions from local organizations.
Extra-special thanks to the following organizations which made this year’s fireworks possible: the Commissioners of the 6th Taxing District, Roton Point Association, Wee Burn Country Club, The Tokeneke Club, Rowayton Beach Association, Pine Point Association, Bell Island Improvement Association, Norwalk Yacht Club and Rowayton Yacht Club. |
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July 11th was a picture perfect day for the 41st Annual River Ramble with a record crowd that gathered in our own Pinkney Park.For kids young and old, there wasn’t a lack of action with the petting zoo, face painting, spectacular bounce games and the ever popular dunk tank!
A special thanks to our friends, neighbors and local merchants who donated their time, energy and enthusiasm to keep the fun going from sun-up to sundown! The event was an overwhelming success with the help of over two hundred volunteers of all ages.Our gratitude goes out to each and every one of you – we couldn’t have pulled it off without you.
 We would like to note some of our special Rowaytonites who truly made the day a memorable one:
- Kelly Brewer, Ginny Grant, Karen Casey, and Cathy and Doug Johnston, who amassed one of the most intriguing and successful Live and Silent Auctions on record.
- Mike Barbis, our Auctioneer extraordinaire, who continues to capture the attention and keep the bidding alive.
- Greg Reichman, for all the delectable food items and particularly his own award-winning chili.
- “The Beer Boys,” especially Paul Curtin, who kept the suds flowing all day long and made certain no one was parched.
- Georgie Farrar, for organizing the Kids’ Games and putting smiles on hundreds of little faces.
- Chris Shaw, for manning the Raw Bar and more importantly, to Griffith Shellfish for their generous donation.
- Carlyn Paynter and Ali Kreiter, for co-chairing the event and the hours spent before, during and after to make it enjoyable for all.
Last, but not least, to our Live Auction donors – Rowayton Pizza, Michael’s Cleaners, Leigh & Francis Wilson, Cathy & Doug Johnston’s, Rowayton Seafood, 6th Taxing District, Brendan’s 101, Jeff Ward and the Rowayton Fire Department for all the truly unique items that can’t be found anywhere else but the River Ramble!!
Not to be missed this year were a variety of over forty local merchants and artisans who shared their glorious goods with all of us!
In addition to being one of our most fun-filled events, the River Ramble is one of the RCA’s largest fundraisers and finances many of our community events including the Fireworks, Soccer Program, Swim Races and Halloween Celebration, to name a few.
Thank you to all who came out in support (or bought your annual t-shirt if you couldn’t be there in person), we look forward to seeing you again next year! |
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