Ocean Grove United Helps OG Chamber of Commerce
To Set Up for Flea Market and Hosts Booth

Laying out flea market spaces on Ocean Pathway.

As a service to the community, ten Ocean Grove United supporters assisted the Chamber of Commerce with setting up for the flea market on Ocean Pathway on Thursday before the big day! Over the course of the afternoon, OGU worked in small teams to mark over 200 vendor spaces. Lois Hetfield, who directed the volunteer activities, expressed her appreciation for our assistance. We got the job done in record time.

By 9am on Saturday, May 31, the OGU tent was bustling with visitors and supporters, many of them shore locals, with some coming from as far as New York City and Connecticut. Human Rights Campaign’s equality flags were sold, along with HRC beach umbrellas. Author and artist, Ruth Kruge and Lynn Scott, respectively, were on hand to share their wonderful work. The Rainbow and the Cross, a one in a million photo was paired with the poem, After, to create a wonderful piece of art. “The Rainbow and the Cross”

OGU's booth at Saturday's flea market was a success, albeit cut short due to tornado warnings in the early afternoon. This was OGU’s first year participating and we will be back next year.




Ocean Grove United Joins NJ Pride Celebration



Pictured from left to right, are Ann Horan of Ocean Grove, Linda Vivian and Cynthia Lewin of Lakewood, formerly of Ocean Grove, Diane Davis, Joan Caputo, Chair, and Dan Garrow, Treasurer, all of Ocean Grove.


Ocean Grove United marched in the annual NJ Pride Parade on June 1, 2008 and hosted an information table, sharing a tent with the Human Rights Campaign and the NJ Stonewall Democrats. Organizations that support every aspect of the diverse community of lesbians, gays, transgendered people and their families and friends were there in force. Thousands of people crowded the open area in front of Asbury Park’s Paramount Theater, greeting long lost friends, finding artistic treasures, and enjoying refreshments from vendors that included some of our favorite local restaurants. The musical entertainment was top notch. There were also poignant moments for those viewing panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, still so moving after all these years.


The OGU booth was a very popular place to visit on Pride Day.

In addition to participating in the excitement and fun, OGU was there to share our story and encourage others to join in support of our cause. Our new beach umbrellas with the Human Rights Campaign logo were a big hit and there was considerable interest in Equality Flags. OGU volunteers shared literature, provided voter registration cards, and OGHOA membership applications, and collected names and addresses for our mailing list

Lynn Scott’s photo, Rainbow and Cross, and Ruth Kruge’s poem, After were the show stoppers. (The Rainbow and the Cross) Person after person was drawn to their display and moved by their art. Congressman Frank Pallone, long a supporter of Ocean Grove United’s position on the pavilion controversy, visited our table and spoke with the artists and members of OGU. All in all, it was a very good day, combining information, fun, camaraderie and pride in the GLBTI community.


Dan Garrow and Barbara Burns model our new beach umbrellas!