(Wilmington, DE) – In his weekly message, Governor Markell celebrates volunteerism in the First State during the annual Week of Service.
“From delivering meals to seniors to mentoring children and cleaning up public places, Delawareans annually perform more than 22 million hours of service, helping brighten the future for current and future generations,” said Governor Markell. “The Week of Service, isn’t just about the work we do one week out of the year. It’s about encouraging and inspiring Delawareans to continue to volunteer for the rest of the year.”
Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Strengthening Our Communities by Serving Those in Need

DOVER – The fifth annual Delaware Week of Service, which will take place April 6-12 and coincides with National Volunteerism Week, will be celebrated with volunteer events across the state.

The Delaware Week of Service expands on the weekend of service that Gov. Jack Markell and his wife, Carla, hosted in January 2009 in lieu of the traditional Inaugural Ball. Since then, the Markells have hosted an annual Week of Service and a special Governor’s Week of Service during the governor’s second inauguration.

“The annual Week of Service highlights the incredible outpouring of kindness displayed toward friends, neighbors and total strangers every day across our state,” Gov. Markell said. “Our volunteers make an incredible impact on our state, whether they are mentoring children, renovating buildings, cleaning up our natural resources, delivering meals to seniors or performing countless other activities. This week will allow us to highlight their contributions, but, as I am repeatedly told by volunteers, they personally get so much out of the experience of helping others. We are pleased to bring together the State Office of Volunteerism, the Governor’s Commission for Community and Volunteer Service, and other organizations to continue building on the spirit of service that is helping Delaware to reach our potential.”

In 2012, more than 188,000 Delawareans volunteered, contributing 23.3 million hours of service to nonprofit and community organizations, according to the Corporation for National & Community Service.

At https://volunteer.delaware.gov, organizations can register their needs and volunteer opportunities, and individuals and groups can log on and choose a project. Carla Markell urged those interested in being involved with the Week of Service to visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov and search for opportunities using the keyword “Week of Service.”  Both one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities are posted.

“The website is a great way to track the progress we’re making as a state of dedicated volunteers,” Carla Markell said. “I look forward to working with the fantastic Delawareans who volunteer during our Week of Service and beyond.”

Governor Markell and First Lady, Carla Markell, are calling on Delawareans to seek out special volunteer projects to mark the annual Week of Service, April 6-12.  Visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov  often to find more exciting Week of Service events and for more ways to give back every day, visit https://volunteer.delaware.gov

Week of Service Opportunities

Sunday, April 6

Road cleaning by Zakat Foundation

10 a.m.-noon, meet at Central Green (the quad near the intersection of 896 and East Delaware Avenue in Newark). Look for Zakat Foundation tent.

ZF has adopted a road in Newark and volunteers clean up the road three to four times a year. This is a great family outing. It usually takes 1-2 hours to clean, with picnic style food available at the end. ZF’s adopted road is on the campus of University of Delaware. East Delaware Avenue, between West Main Street (formerly Elkton Road) and Library Road. This is the road parallel to Main Street. For questions or to register, call: (302) 533-2334.

Monday, April 7

2014 Great Closet Clean Out! A Great Dames Career Clothing Drive
8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., several locations.

A Delaware Week of Service project sponsored by Great Dames, Inc. in collaboration with  the State Office of Volunteerism, United Way of Delaware, NAWBO Delaware, and Pettinaro Relocation. What we need: Consignment-quality, new or nearly new, clean career clothing for women and men. Who will benefit: Wilmington Senior Center “City Styles Shop,” Clothing Bank of Delaware, and Great Stuff (Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition). For more information, contact Heather Cassey, heatherhake@great-dames.com or (610) 389-4710.

Drop-off locations:

• Greenville Place Apartments, Tower I, 210 Presidential Drive, Wilmington
• Wilmington Senior Center “City Styles Thrift Shop,” 1901 N. Market St, Wilmington
• United Way of Delaware, 625 N. Orange St., Wilmington
• Great Dames Headquarters, 706 Fox Hunt Drive, Kennett Square, Pa.

Tuesday April 8

Teen Volunteer Fair

7-8:30 p.m., Bear Library, intersection of U.S. 40 and Del. 7, Bear

Many local organizations will be on hand to answer teens’ questions about volunteering and get them started.

Wednesday, April 9

Clean-Up at Little Sisters of the Poor, Salesianum students volunteering

9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Little Sisters of the Poor, 185 Salem Church Road, Newark. Event full; closed.
Twenty Salesianum students will visit Little Sisters of the Poor for volunteer service. To learn how about volunteering for this organization, contact Mary Cella, volnewark@littlesistersofthepoor.org

Volunteer Orientation at Habitat ReStore

5:30-6:30 p.m., Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 544 Webbs Lane, Dover.

The orientation will highlight the role of the ReStore in Habitat’s overall mission, as well as the many different volunteer opportunities that are available in the ReStore. For more information, contact Allison at (302) 346-0220 or email restore@centraldelawarehabitat.org. Find out more about ReStore, at www.centraldelawareahbitat.org.

Friday, April 11

Governor, his staff and Cabinet at Habitat for Humanity Build

9:30-11:30 a.m., Gov. Jack Markell, his staff and Cabinet members will assist Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity on a build at 7 Fourth Street, Frederica. They will do drywall and exterior work.

South Dover Elementary trail clearing and garden development. Event full; closed.

The South Dover Elementary “Honey Bee” service club, along with parents, AmeriCorps members, and possibly military members will clear trails around the school and start a garden. This also coincides with Global Youth Service Day. For more information, contact Monica.fisher@delaware.gov

Saturday, April 12

State Parks Park Clean-up. Event full; closed.

9-11:30 a.m., Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with Wilmington Head Start, Warner Elementary School, the 76ers, the 87ers, the Boys and Girls Club, Project Chance Club, civic organizations and Wilmington State Parks, will re-mulch the playground near 18th and Van Buren streets across from Warner Elementary. For more information, contact DNREC at (302) 739-9193 or glen.stubbolo@delaware.gov

Habitat for Humanity Builder’s Dash

8 a.m., Fordham Brewery, 1284 Mc D Drive, Dover. Event will include a 5K walk/run, beer samples and tours from Fordham and Old Dominion Brewing Company, music, food, and more.

To become a Builders Dash sponsor or for more information, call (302) 526-2366 or email stwilley@centraldelawarehabitat.org. Additional information is available at www.centraldelawarehabitat.org

Paws for People’s Easter Bone Event

12:30-3 p.m., Blue Hen Bed & Breakfast, 1202 Nottingham Road, Newark. To learn more, (302) 351-5622 or visit www.PAWSforpeople.org

Reach Academy Clean-Up

9 a.m.-noon, Reach Academy for Girls, 170 Lukens Drive, New Castle. School clean-up and flower planingto beautify the area. To learn more, call Amanda Hendrickson at (302) 654-3720 or Amanda.hendrickson@reach.k12.de.us

Christina River Watershed Cleanup

8 a.m.-noon, join an army of volunteers collecting riverside litter. Visit ChristinaRiverCleanup.org to sign up for a stream near you. These include the Christina River, Naamans Creek, Red Clay Creek and White Clay Creek. Those who help will receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last, and credit toward any volunteer requirements they may have. For more information or to register, www.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org  or call (302) 838-1897.

A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children Food Drive (closed event)

Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children will embark on its first Nemours Cares Day as it culminates an employee food drive to benefit the food closets at all State Service Centers, as well as the families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House while their children are hospitalized. Basic food items will be collected along with gift cards that can be used at local grocery stores. Nemours volunteers will gather, sort and deliver the food on April 12 to the Hudson State Service Center in Newark, the Williams State Service Center in Dover and the Milford State Service Center. To learn more about the drive, contact John Grabusky, jgrabusk@nemours.org or call (302) 444-9056. No more event volunteers are needed.

For more information, go to https://volunteer.delaware.gov, or contact Carrie Hart, Volunteer Service Administrator, at (302) 857-5006.

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 9, 2013) – To meet the emergency food needs of thousands of Delawareans, the Department of Health and Social Services, along with the Blood Bank of Delmarva, are joining forces to replenish food closets at the 15 state service centers.

The food drive will be held Jan. 11-21, in conjunction with the Governor’s Week of Service. Gov. Jack Markell and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, along with their spouses, are urging Delawareans to join in service projects across the state.

During the DHSS food drive, Delawareans are urged to make non-perishable food donations at any state service center or blood bank location during regular business hours.  The Main Administration Building at DHSS’ Herman Holloway Campus on U.S. 13 near New Castle also will be a collection site.

Last year, the state service centers assisted more than 10,000 people with emergency food supplies.

“Delawareans always pitch in to help one another,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “If we each take a few minutes out of the day to pick up something that would help stock our food closets, we’d be helping neighbors in need. It’s one way to make a difference during the week of service.”

The list of items most in need include: oatmeal and cereal, canned fruit, pancake mix and syrup, grits, tuna, canned pasta, peanut butter and jelly, crackers, soups, Spam and other canned meats, mac and cheese, stuffing, rice, beef stew, canned vegetables, mashed potatoes, canned potatoes, canned juice, condiments and shelf-stable milk.

Please keep in mind that some recipients of donations are people who are homeless, so pop-top canned goods are helpful.

“Hunger isn’t a state problem or a federal problem, it’s a community problem,” DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf said. “With the generous support of Delawareans who are concerned about their neighbors, we can restock our food closets. We can provide vulnerable people with something nutritious to eat until a longer-term solution to their situation is found.”

Food collected at each state service center will stay at that center. Food donated at the blood bank locations and the DHSS Main Administration Building will be divided among the state service centers with the lowest supplies.

“When a family or individual needs food, shelter, or assistance with basic needs to sustain themselves, they visit our state service centers,” said Dr. Anne Farley, director of DHSS’ Division of State Service Centers. “Each year, hundreds of thousands of visits are made to our centers where we have food closets ready to help in a time of need. We rely on donations of food items to put together meals for a family for three or more days. The generosity of the public to help a fellow Delawarean is essential for us to provide the support that we do.”

The food drive is sponsored by Youth Service America, AmeriCorps Delaware, RSVP and Foster Grandparents.

State service centers are open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (State offices will be closed Jan. 21 for MLK Day.) The locations:

New Castle County

Appoquinimink State Service Center, 122 Silver Lake Road, Middletown. 378-5770.

Belvedere State Service Center, 310 Kiamensi Road, Wilmington. 995-8545.
Claymont State Service Center, 3301 Green St., Claymont. 798-2870.

Delawarr State Service Center, 500 Rogers Road, New Castle. 577-2970.

Floyd I. Hudson State Service Center, 501 Ogletown Road, Newark. 283-7500.

Northeast State Service Center, 1624 Jessup St., Wilmington. 552-3500.

Winder Laird Porter State Service Center, 509 W. Eighth St., Wilmington. 577-3400.

Kent County

James W. Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover. 857-5000.

Smyrna State Service Center, 200 S. DuPont Blvd., Suite 101, Smyrna. 514-4500.

Sussex County

Anna C. Shipley State Service Center, 350 Virginia Ave., Seaford. 628-2000.

Bridgeville State Service Center, 400 Mill St., Bridgeville. 337-8261.

Edward W. Pyle State Service Center, 34314 Pyle Center Road, Frankford. 732-9501.

Laurel State Service Center, 31039 N. Poplar St., Laurel. 875-6943.

Milford State Service Center – Annex, 13 S.W. Front St., Milford. 424-7230.

Thurman Adams State Service Center, 546 S. Bedford St., Georgetown. 856-5574.

The blood banks locations (hours vary) are:

Wilmington Donor Center: 913 N. Market St., First Floor, Wilmington. Parking will be validated.

Christiana Donor Center: 100 Hygeia Drive, Newark (across from Christiana Hospital on Del. 4).
Dover Donor Center: 221 Saulsbury Road, Dover.

 

For more information about the food drive or the Governor’s Week of Service, call Carrie Hart, Volunteer Service Administrator, at (302) 857-5006, or go to https://volunteer.delaware.gov.

 

For more information about the Blood Bank of Delmarva, go to www.delmarvablood.org or call (888) 8-BLOOD-8.

DOVER (Jan. 8, 2013) – For the 2013 Governor’s Week of Service from Jan. 11 to 21, the DNREC Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and Parks and Recreation are looking for volunteers to help with winter projects at state wildlife areas and state parks.

“Part of our state’s great quality of life revolves around our precious natural resources,” said Governor Jack Markell. “The week of service provides an opportunity to work together preserving and maintaining places that make our state a better place to live, work and raise a family.  It’s part of what makes Delaware a state of neighbors.”

“Every year, thousands of volunteers dedicate time to protect and improve our treasured natural resources,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “These volunteers provide essential services, solve emerging challenges, and supplement the efforts of DNREC staff to enhance our parks and shoreline, our waterways and wildlife areas, our recreational trails and parks, and help clean up our rivers, bays and beaches. During Governor Markell’s annual Week of Service, we recognize these volunteers and encourage more Delawareans to come out and join them.”

 

• DuPont Nature Center Winter Work Day* will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12 at the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, 2992 Lighthouse Road, east of Milford. Directions are available by clicking on the calendar of events at www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers.

A variety of projects will be available during the nature center’s first Winter Work Day, including deck maintenance, Hurricane Sandy parking lot cleanup, beach cleanup, and roadside/marsh trash clean-up. Work gloves andtools will be provided, but volunteers may also bring their own. Volunteers under the age of 18 must provide a parental consent form, which also can be found on the website.

For more information or to sign up for these projects, please contact Lynne Staub at 302-735-3609 or email lynne.staub@delaware.gov. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to pre-register with contact information in case of inclement weather leading to postponement.

The DuPont Nature Center is open winter hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 302-422-1329, or visit www.dupontnaturecenter.org.

 

• Lums Pond Nature Center Renovation Days will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 12; 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 14; 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 15; and 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Lums Pond State Park near Bear. Volunteers are encouraged to wear work clothes and bring water. All supplies will be provided.

On Jan. 12, volunteers will clear out displays and furniture from the Nature Center, prep and dust walls for painting and begin painting the ceiling. From Jan. 14 to Jan. 16, volunteers will complete the ceiling and paint the walls.

Lums Pond State Park is located at 1068 Howell School Road, Bear. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov

 

• Cedar Swamp Winter Cleanup* will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area, with volunteers meeting at the check station parking lot on Collins Beach Road, east of the Smyrna/Townsend area. Directions are available by clicking on the calendar of events at www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers or View Map.
  

Multiple projects will be available during this cleanup, including roadside trash cleanups and invasive plant removals. Work gloves and tools will be provided, but volunteers may also bring their own. Volunteers under the age of 18 must provide a parental consent form, which also can be found on the website.

For more information or to sign up for these projects, please contact Lynne Staub at 302-735-3609 or email lynne.staub@delaware.gov. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to pre-register with contact information in case of inclement weather leading to postponement.

 

• Fresh Pond Trail Maintenance will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Jan. 13, with volunteers meeting at the main parking area for Fresh Pond, located in Delaware Seashore State Park near Ocean View.

 

Volunteers will remove invasive plants and shrubs, natural debris and any litter that impedes Fresh Pond Trail in order to improve trail safety and recreational access. Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather, including long pants and closed-toes shoes, and to bring work gloves and water.

Delaware Seashore State Park is located off Delaware Route 1, Ocean View. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov

 

• Cape Henlopen State Park Trail Project* will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 19, with volunteers meeting at the Glade Road Access point for Junction and Breakwater Trail, located off the Rehoboth Little League Parking lot near Lewes.

The main project focus is to improve safety and trail enjoyment along the Junction and Breakwater Trail. Project participants will help remove shrubs and undergrowth at intersections that are posing visibility and safety risks along this popular and heavily used bike and pedestrian trail. Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather, wear closed-toed shoes, and bring work gloves and water.

Cape Henlopen State Park is located at 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov.

 

• Brandywine Creek State Park Weed Warriors Project will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 19, with volunteers meeting in the main parking lot at Brandywine Creek State Park.

Volunteers will be pulling up and cutting invasive wine berry, which will be composted down to provide places for some of the local birds to land and shelter. Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather, including long pants and closed-toes shoes, and to bring work gloves and water.

Brandywine Creek State Park is located at 41 Adams Dam Road, Montchanin. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov

 

• White Clay Creek State Park Weed Warriors Project will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, with volunteers meeting at the White Clay Creek State Park entrance on Nine Foot Road, off Thompson Station Road across from Deerfield.

 

Volunteers will be pulling up and cutting invasive plants to help native plants continue to grow and provide good food sources for the native animals. The invasive plants will be composted down in small piles to provide places for local birds to land and shelter. Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather, including long pants and closed-toes shoes, and to bring work gloves and water.

White Clay Creek State Park is located off Thompson Station Road in Newark. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov

 

• Cedar Swamp’s Bye Bye Boxwood* project will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area with volunteers meeting at the Vogel Tract off Collins Beach Road east of the Smyrna/Townsend area. Directions are available by clicking on the calendar of events at www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers, or View Map.
  

Ornamental boxwood shrubs are degrading native wildlife habitat at this Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area site by outcompeting native plants and taking over the understory. Volunteers will be using hand saws, pruners and loppers to remove the shrubs and open the understory. Work gloves and tools will be provided, but volunteers may also bring their own. Volunteers under the age of 18 must provide a parental consent form, which also can be found on the website.

The Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area is located east of Smyrna/Townsend area.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Lynne Staub at 302-735-3609 or email lynne.staub@delaware.gov. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to pre-register with contact information in case of inclement weather leading to postponement.

For information on other volunteer opportunities with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, visit www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers.

For more information on other volunteer opportunities with the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, please visit www.https://volunteer.delaware.gov

 

*These projects also are part of DNREC’s Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information on the Bayshore Initiative, click Delaware Bayshore .

(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.