At Firefly Music Festival, where fans give out free hugs and carry signs supporting the citizens of Orlando, there has been an overwhelming spirit of happiness and positivity. At the campgrounds in Dover, attendees can continue to pay it forward, by donating gear to benefit the homeless.
Code Purple, a local charity organization that serves the less fortunate of Kent and Sussex County, has been on location all weekend. With a booth in Lot 18 and by the Dover International Speedway racetrack, they are encouraging campers to attach tags to any camping gear they might leave behind.
Director Becky Martin has been manning the station by the east entrance all weekend, and said the outpour of donations and willingness to sign up for the program has been impressive, to say the least.
"It's really been beyond amazing, the way these kids have offered to just hand over so much of their own stuff," Martin said. "I've cried a couple times this weekend; it's really been a wonderful experience."
The partnership came about when Pastor Jeff Dwyer, of Deepwater Church in Dover, and John Rundle, of the Dover Air Force Base, were wandering the campgrounds after last year's festival. They encouraged campers to donate their used goods, and then encouraged Code Purple to reach out to Red Frog Events, the organizers of Firefly.
"The Firefly folks reached out with the idea to have tags that all the campers could attach to the goods they wanted to donate," Martin said. "Firefly, themselves, have been awesome to us. They've been accommodating, and anything we need, they've been right there for us."
Public Relations Director Lauren Shield King, who has worked for Red Frog Events since Firefly landed at The Woodlands in 2012, said the relationship with Code Purple made great sense for all involved.
"Once we heard about the mission of the Code Purple project from [Code Purple] Commissioner Allan Angel, it was a natural partnership to begin with Firefly," King said.
Code Purple was established to open shelters in Kent County when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. Recently, the organization started their Code in Need program, wherein they provide clothing and resources for the homeless all year round.
At each Code Purple booth, where small donations were accepted, campers could also make a small monetary donation, and receive a purple woven bracelet, made of yarn. Martin said the thousands of bracelets they've received from donors as far away as Nevada, started out as a joke.
"I just put some small comment on Facebook, saying it would be nice to have bracelets to go along with the admission bracelets all the campers are wearing," Martin said. "Jackie Edwards, who lives here in Dover, created a YouTube video about it, and before we knew it, the bracelets came pouring in."
Jess Crilley, of Green Lane, Pa., was excited to tie on a dark-and-light purple bracelet when she stopped by the Code Purple booth, but even more impressed with Code Purple's initiative. Attending Firefly for the second time, she's used to seeing the trail of camping gear that gets left behind.
"It's so sad and it makes me mad when I see so much food and other stuff left behind," Crilley said. "This is such a cool idea that will help so many people. I think it's great that Firefly has allowed this to happen." Crilley and her friend, John Tintera, of Haverford, Pa., said they planned to leave a few tarps and some unopened food behind as part of their donation.
Once the dust clears at The Woodlands, more than 200 Code Purple volunteers will descend upon the grounds to collect all the items. The Monday morning clean-up will likely take all day, but Martin said they have plenty of help.
"The Boy Scouts will clean the tents and tarps, [local moving company] Two Men and a Truck will help transport the goods with three trucks, and Capital Cleaners will be washing all the sleeping bags," Martin said. "The entire community has really stepped up to help us on this."
For those interested in donating goods or funds to Code Purple, go to www.codepurplekentcounty.com and can follow all the organization's activities by joining their Facebook group.
UPDATE:
More than 150 volunteers canvassed the campgrounds at The Woodlands Monday, in search of tagged items left behind by campers. Becky Martin, Director of Code Purple, said the effort was a success, despite the sweltering heat in Dover.
“I am burnt, blistered and exhausted, but wow, what a successful first year this was,” Martin said. “We filled three big moving trucks: one with tents and tarps, one with blankets and sleeping bags, and one with non-perishable foods and coolers. It was really unbelievable.”
Martin said each truck was packed so tightly, that they had to leave certain items behind for the clean-up crews. Though Martin could not estimate the amount of individual items donated, each truck, on loan from Two Men and a Truck moving company are about 16 feet in length.
