DELAWARE RIVER CELEBRATION INFORMATION
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), PA River of the Year Steering Committee, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, and The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort partnered to put on the Delaware River Celebration on Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The event took place at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, Shawnee on Delaware, PA, which is surrounded by stunning views of the Delaware River and Pocono Mountains, located within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
An afternoon educational forum made up of two lively panel discussions began the day’s activities, followed by a cocktail/social event highlighting local art and a raffle/auction, and culminated with a celebratory dinner. We thank those that joined us as we commemorated DRBC’s 50th and Shawnee’s 100th anniversary milestones, but most importantly, honored our wild and scenic Delaware River, PA’s 2011 River of the Year.
The Day’s Agenda:
1:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M. REGISTRATION (The Inn’s Main Lobby)
1:30 P.M. WELCOME AND OPENING REMARKS (The Waring Room)
Carol Collier, Delaware River Basin Commission
Charlie Kirkwood, Shawnee Inn
Carl Wilgus, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
1:45 P.M. – 3:15 P.M. FORUM SESSION #1: RIVER BASIN COMMISSIONS – WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
3:15 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. BREAK
3:30 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. FORUM SESSION #2: ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER – RECREATION: A WINNER FOR THE DELAWARE, LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND YOU
5:00 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. COCKTAILS/SOCIAL EVENT, RAFFLE/AUCTION (The Veranda; Appetizers & Cash Bar)
LOCAL ARTIST DISPLAYS (The Payette Room)
6:30 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. GUEST SPEAKERS AND DINNER (The Worthington Ballroom)
9:00 P.M. CLOSING REMARKS
Forum Session #1:
RIVER BASIN COMMISSIONS – WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
River Basin Commissions come in many shapes and sizes. Some have regulatory authority; some just planning and facilitation. How have they served a valuable function? Are they needed in the future? What’s best for the Delaware River Basin?
PANEL MODERATOR: Jeffrey Featherstone, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), Temple University
PANEL MEMBERS: Robert (Bo) Abrams, Esq., Florida A & M University College of Law
Alexandria Dapolito Dunn, Esq., Executive Director and General Counsel, Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), formerly ASIWPCA
Jerome Delli Priscoli, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Forum Session #2:
ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER – RECREATION: A WINNER FOR THE DELAWARE, LOCAL ECONOMIES, AND YOU
This session will focus on the Delaware River and the river-based recreation currently taking place. We will look at the economic and social contributions made by the river and look at current and future opportunities associated with this outstanding recreational area.
PANEL MODERATOR: Carl Wilgus, President and CEO, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
PANEL MEMBERS: Gerald Kauffman, P.E., Project Director, Water Resources Agency, University of Delaware
John Donahue, Superintendent, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Celeste Tracy, Board Member and Coordinator for Land and Water Trail Projects, Delaware River Greenway Partnership
Charlene Trotter, Executive Director, Tri State Chamber of Commerce
Dinner Information:
A plated dinner was served, highlighting in-season, sustainably grown foods either right from Shawnee’s own garden or the local area. Non-alcoholic beverages were included with your dinner; there was a cash bar.
ENTRÉE SELECTIONS: Shawna Farm Vegetable and Bean Gumbo, Sustainable Cedar Grilled Trout, or Locally Raised Quail.
All served with Truffle Roasted Shawnee Butternut Squash Soup, Shawnee Pumpkin and Apple Waldorf Salad, Seasonal Vegetable, additional Side, and Chocolate and Berry Napolian for Dessert.
Donation Opportunities to Benefit the Delaware River Sojourn:
As part of this event, there were two optional opportunities to donate to the Delaware River Sojourn: by tax-deductible donation or participation in our raffle/auction for river-focused items that will be held during the cocktails/social event, with winners picked during dinner. All donors will be listed on the Sojourn web site, unless preference is to donate anonymously.
The Delaware River Sojourn is an annual paddling trip on the Delaware River that combines canoeing/kayaking with camping and educational programming. Its purpose is to heighten awareness of, and appreciation for, the ecological, historical, recreational, and economic significance of the river and its ties to local communities by giving people the opportunity to experience the Delaware from where it’s seen and felt best: the water.
This not-for-profit event is organized by a steering committee comprised of federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses and individual volunteers, and is supported by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and various in-kind contributions. In order to continue to keep registration fees reasonably priced for participants, it is in need of additional funding sources. The sojourn is an important event focused on connecting individuals of all ages and backgrounds to the river, in turn creating stewards of this great resource for current and future generations, and we thank you for your support.
Registration Information:
SPACE IS LIMITED SO PLEASE REGISTER EARLY. REGISTRATION WAS DUE BY OCTOBER 11, 2011.
REGISTRATION FEES: There was no cost to attend the forums and/or cocktails/social event. There was a $50 per person registration fee to attend the dinner.
REGISTRATION OPTIONS: PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
- (PREFERRED) Register online via PayPal – Visa, MC, AmEx, and PayPal payments are acceptable.
- Register by mail by remitting the form included in your invitation with check payment.
- Register online but send in a check payment by clicking the above link and filling out the fields. At the end of the registration, please click SUBMIT and close out of PayPal.
Checks payable to UDPC.
Please limit the number of guests for 4 (including you). If you require more, please contact our event registrar (see contact information below under Questions?) to check on space and availability.
ADDRESS FOR MAIL REGISTRATIONS AND/OR CHECK PAYMENTS:
Delaware River Celebration
101 Indian Lookout Road
Lackawaxen, PA 18435
PLEASE NOTE: A block of rooms at Shawnee Inn was reserved until October 10, 2011 under DRBC Forum for the nights of October 18 and October 19 at $77/night plus taxes and resort fees. Reservations are on your own. Please call 1-800-742-9633 to make your reservation.
Questions?
Please contact event registrar Dejay Branch, Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition (UDPC), at 646-205-2724 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
We thank Dejay Branch and Troy Bystrom of the Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition for hosting the web site, as well as for their registrar expertise.
