Cape Senior Center celebrates 50 years in Rehoboth Beach

The Cape Henlopen Senior Center is set to ring in its golden anniversary in style while also embarking on plans for a new facility.

The center is planning a year of events to celebrate its 50 years of activities in Rehoboth Beach. First up will be the center’s 50th anniversary luncheon, to be held at Kings Creek Country Club from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 15.

From its opening in March 1966, the center has been a place where older citizens could remain active, healthy and independent. The first center operated at the American Legion hall on Brooklyn Avenue and then moved to Wilmington Avenue, in the building where Royal Treat is now, said administrator Linda Bonville, who has worked at the center since 1978.

In 1980, center officials negotiated a lease with the city of Rehoboth for land at 11 Christian St., site of the 8,000-square-foot multipurpose facility in use today.

Officials say that building has now outlived its usefulness; the center's board is planning to build a new building on land the center owns at the corner of Hebron Road and Holland Glade Road, Treasurer Deborah Markow said. In line with the anniversary's slogan, “Celebrating Our Past, Enjoying Our Future,” the 50th anniversary events will help raise funds for a new building, she said.

Markow said anniversary activities include a thank-you event for volunteers Thursday, April 14, an open house Wednesday, May 25, a 50-cent breakfast Thursday, June 23 and a golf tournament at the Rookery Monday, Sept. 26. More activities are yet to be announced.

Administrative assistant Bobbie Hemmerich said a new building is the long-range goal. “Trying to accommodate all the programs and activities we have here is a juggling act, because everyone needs space,” she said.

“The city has been really good. They’ve supported us financially over the years. They’ve supported us with parking. But we can only do so much here. It’s time to move on. We can’t stop growth. More and more seniors are coming in,” Bonville said.

The anniversary comes after a difficult and controversial time in the center’s history. In 2014 and 2015, the center endured the firing of an executive director and a complete shakeup of the board. Unlike the previous board, the new board is composed only of center members.

“The last few years were the most challenging years I’ve had at the senior center," Bonville said. "We are back on the right track."

“Compared to two years ago, we have a much happier center,” Hemmerich said. “You used to come in, and you could feel the tension and the heaviness. You could feel that. That’s gone,” Hemmerich said. “It was a major milestone to make the changes.”

Bonville said the biggest change she’s seen over the years is a younger, more diverse group of seniors.

“The population has changed where there are more seniors moving to the area, and more people are retiring at an earlier age,” Bonville said. “It’s our job now to keep up with the times.”

“In today’s world, 60 is not what it was 50 years ago,” said Hemmerich.

Of the center's 50th anniversary, Hemmerich said, “It’s really a huge milestone when you think about it. That’s why we want to make it a big deal. We’ve gone through tough times, and we’re out in the light again."

“This is our year to shine,” Markow said.

For more information on the senior center’s anniversary events, visit www.capehenlopenseniorcenter.org.