(Dover, DE)   Governor Jack Markell and Lt. Governor Matt Denn are announcing their inaugural events will include an interfaith prayer service, a public inaugural ball, a series of volunteer projects during a Week of Service and a call for donations to a new Boys & Girls Club revitalization initiative, in addition to the traditional swearing-in ceremony.

The Governor and Lt. Governor, along with their spouses, are urging Delawareans to join in service projects scheduled between January 11 and 21, listed at https://volunteer.delaware.gov

“I often say that this is a state of neighbors, and one of the great things about neighbors is they take care of each other,” Governor Markell said.  “The start of my second term serving the state is a great time to highlight that effort.”

“Thousands of Delawareans volunteer their time and their talents every day, and our state wouldn’t function as well without their efforts,” said First Lady Carla Markell, who has spearheaded volunteerism efforts during the first term and is leading the Week of Service for the inaugural. “We want to celebrate all those who already volunteer while encouraging others to participate.  It’s easy to get involved.”

The Markells and Denns will participate in the following projects to illustrate some of the many ways that Delawareans can serve others.

Friday, January 11, 10 a.m.: A kickoff of the Week of Service with the Governor, Mrs. Markell,  cabinet secretaries and staff from the office of the Governor doing renovations and repairs at the Boys & Girls Club, 454 Central Ave., Laurel.

• Friday, January 11, 11 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Denn, who has encouraged companies to allow employees to mentor in schools, will speak to potential mentors at Chesapeake Utilities, 909 Silver Lake Blvd., Dover.
• Saturday, January 12, 1 p.m.: Gov. Markell will take part in a work day at the DuPont Nature Center, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford.
• Sunday, January 13, 8 a.m. – Mrs. Markell will help serve breakfast to women and children at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 N. Poplar St., Wilmington.
• Monday, January 14, 1 p.m.: Lt. Governor Denn brings four U.S. Army veterans to William Penn High School to talk with the AFJROTC about their service to our country.  They will share stories of their 53-man remote deployment near the Pakistan border.  William Penn High School, 713 East Basin Road, New Castle.
• Wednesday, January 16, 11 a.m.: Lt. Governor Denn will join the Delaware Mentoring Council during their “Forum on Mentoring in Juvenile Justice Settings” at Delaware State University Student Center, Parlor C,  1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover
• Wednesday, January 16, 2 p.m.: Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn will help sort donated food at the Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover.
• Thursday, January 17, 11:30 a.m.: Mrs. Markell will read to preschoolers at the Latin American Community Center, 403 N. Van Buren St., Wilmington
• Friday, January 18, 11 a.m.: Gov. and Mrs. Markell will attend a Blood Bank of Delmarva Community Blood Drive at the Springer Building on DHSS’s Herman Holloway Campus, U.S. 13, New Castle.

“One of the great things about volunteering is how rewarding it can be for the person doing the volunteer work,” Lt. Governor Denn said. “I’ve been mentoring a young man once a week at his school for the last four years.  He is now in sixth grade and it has been gratifying to me to see him mature.”

In commemoration of the inauguration and in keeping with the theme of service, the Markells are also requesting donations to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware “Project Renewal.”  Project Renewal aims to mobilize volunteers, community leaders, and resources across the state in a coordinated effort to renew and upgrade the facilities at Boys & Girls Clubs in Delaware. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware serve 20,000 children annually at 41 sites around the state.  Donations can be made online at  www.bgclubs.org/projectrenewal

The inaugural events, all of which are open to the public, include:

Sunday, January 13, 4 p.m.: An Interfaith Prayer Service, Arts & Science Center Theater, Delaware Technical Community College, Georgetown.

• Tuesday, January 15, 11 a.m.: The Inauguration Ceremony, Legislative Mall, Dover, followed by Public Greeting inside Legislative Hall (inclement weather location is Central Middle School Auditorium, 211 Delaware Avenue, Dover).
• Tuesday, January 15, 7 p.m.: The Inaugural Ball, Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington – advance registration and $25 per person ticket required from www.markell.org/ball

The interfaith prayer service participants will include Dr. Jeffrey Hawtof of the Seaside Jewish Community, Delaware National Guard chaplain Lt. Col. Ed Brandt, Seaford City Councilwoman Pat Jones, Common Pleas Judge Kenneth Clark, the Rev. Max Wolf, St. George’s Chapel/ All Saints Episcopal Church, Sister Rosa Alvarez of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Mouad Bekka Imam, Islamic Society of Central Delaware and representatives of other faiths. Music will be provided by the Sussex Vo-Tech High School Choir and by Dover High School music teacher Brad Whitenight.

The inaugural ceremony, where Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn will take their oaths, deliver their inaugural addresses and officially begin their second terms, will feature the Newark High School Band and the 287^th Army Band of the Delaware National Guard, as well as singing by University of Delaware student Elizabeth I. Rivera and Cab Calloway School of the Arts student Chad Michael Jervis. Participants in the program will include Delaware State University President Dr. Harry Williams, Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly, and Rabbi Peter Grumbacher. The ceremony will feature a 19-gun salute by the Delaware National Guard and posting of the colors by the Delaware State Police. Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron Steele will administer the Governor’s oath and Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden will administer the oath to Lt. Governor Denn. The swearing-in is an outdoor ceremony in front of Legislative Hall in Dover, but if the ceremony must be moved inside nearby Central Middle School for weather, an announcement will be made at 7 a.m.

A public greeting will follow the ceremony, where residents can meet Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn in the Governor’s office on the second floor of Legislative Hall. Captain Shane Mason, Commander of the 1049th Transportation Company of the Delaware Army National Guard, will act as Military Aide to the Governor for the greeting.

The theme of the inaugural ball is “Celebrating Volunteerism In Our State” and will feature photos of volunteers in action around Delaware. The ball will highlight the culinary creativity and talent of the state with hors d’oeuvres provided by restaurants of the Delaware Restaurant Association as well as beer and wine tastings by Delaware breweries and wineries. Entertainment is by legendary Delaware band Love Seed Mama Jump and disc jockey Marc Emerick. The ball, which is black tie optional, requires advance registration and space is limited. Tickets are $25 per person and there will be a cash bar with complimentary soft drinks.

Those interested in attending any of the events – but especially the ball — can RSVP at www.markell.org/ball or by calling (302) 528-0207. The deadline for ball RSVPs is Thursday, January 10. Inauguration security protocols will be in effect at all events, so attendees should allow adequate time to enter.

Note for Media Coverage:

Reporters and photographer should plan to prominently display their media outlet employee identification on their person for inaugural events.  It will be required for entry to the designated media area.  To register for the three main inaugural events, reporters should email Cathy Rossi   catherine.rossi@delaware.gov to confirm their attendance at the Prayer Service, Inaugural Ceremony, Inaugural Ball. Security protocols will be in place and media representatives’ names will need to be on the media list for admission to designated media areas.  Special instructions and more detailed information will be added to our day-ahead schedules.

Photos can be viewed here.

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