Rehoboth icon Cheryl Blackman celebrates 50th birthday

Friends and family turned out to the Rehoboth Beach Fire Hall Aug. 11 to help local fundraiser, celebrity and cancer survivor Cheryl Blackman celebrate her 50th birthday. Blackman, in one of her trademark outfits, stayed busy at the party, greeting friends with hugs and her infectious smile. Blackman’s mother and sisters shared stories of Blackman’s early years - like how she decided to paint the white garage black, but the paint only reached about four feet high on the wall. Or how she scared off all of her sister’s friends at a birthday party by bringing a black snake from the woods to the party. There was also the story of her rubbing the big belly of a Hell's Angels biker in downtown Rehoboth and ended up leading the bikers out of town on her bicycle.

Shown sharing their memories of Blackman are (l-r) her mother Shirley Bennett and sisters Valery Cordrey, Barbara Rynkowski and Sharon Sherwood with Blackman.