Lobster Fest, Caribbean Music Benefit The Seamen's Church

David Brown greets Noreen Drexel,

Rick Grosvenor center rear

The Seamen’s Church Institute of Newport brought some Caribbean-flavored fun and cheer to an August night visited by gloomy weather – but the clouds and rain did little to dampen the spirits of everyone arriving within the large, lovely tent set up on Fort Adams' grounds overlooking Newport Harbor. The event, “Rock the Docks,” is held every year to raise money to benefit the Institute.

The night started off with mingling and cocktails accompanied by the delightful tinklings of the George Zecher steel drum band, which creatively covered oldies and contemporary tunes. SCI’s board members, committee members, employees and volunteers were identifiable by their white chef’s coats – an apparently much-coveted item commissioned each year for the event. David Brown, SCI’s President of the Board, greeted new arrivals. Co-Chairs Carrie Slee and Peggy Comfort supervised, socialized, and later served food to guests, including some heavenly-tasting lobsters that were donated to the event by The Lobster Co-Op and by Aquidneck Lobster, who also cooked the food.

Inside the tent

Other event attendees included Rhode Island Bishop Geralyn Wolf, Noreen Drexel, Diane, Nicholas and daughter Sylvia Brown, Ron Fleming, Paul Callahan, Dollie Briggs, and Dayton Carr.

During dinner, David Brown came onstage to thank attendees for their contributions and to speak more about the organization in recent years and its ongoing transformation into a fully handicap-accessible building. He was followed by Peter Gerard, who jovially auctioned off five $1,000 brass nameplates to be affixed to chairs in the Institute’s Aloha Café for decades to come, cracking jokes about whose chair should be seated next to whose. He also asked for volunteers to donate $250 food gift card to go to needy families and individuals at Christmastime – another important program run by the Seamen’s.

"Fisherman" Jimmy Gibson serves corn

After enjoying passed desserts, many people got up to dance as the steel drum music recommenced. The event came together thanks to the efforts of so many hard-working volunteers and generous sponsors, and was able to raise almost $28,000 to support the organization. The overall evening was lively and high-spirited but also laid-back, with a dedicated group of people cheerfully contributing their support to a great cause.

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s original mission was to serve those connected to the Sea, but this mission has expanded over the years to also include programs and services for families from Newport County in need of compassionate financial, referral, or listening assistance. Find out more at www.seamensnewport.org

-- Amanda M. Grosvenor