Little Silver Day To Return in 2018

By Christina Johnson
Little Silver – In this small borough of 6,000 residents, organizations like the Educational Foundation, the fire companies and the PTOs compete for sponsors in their quest to raise money for the common good.
That is why the organizers of Little Silver Day, a new community fundraiser that drew 2,000 people to Markham Place for a first festive day of togetherness, say they will not hold a repeat this year. They will skip 2017 and bring Little Silver Day back to the borough’s fields near Markham Place in June 2018.
A street fair called “The Taste of Little Silver,” highlighting the borough’s merchants and business owners, will be instead be held in June.

“We decided to be respectful of the small town community that Little Silver is,” said

Rick Brandt of the Little Silver Charitable Trust, a 501c3. “We’re a small town, and we realize that a lot of money was raised for Little Silver Day, and there is only so much sponsorship to go around.”
Little Silver Day will be held every other year to build up momentum to the borough’s centennial in 2023.
Brandt, a print and packaging professional who is 27 and a lifelong resident of the borough, is relying on the commitment of volunteers. For the inaugural event, he said the committee of 20 members meant twice-monthly for half a year, and were joined by 100 more on the picture-perfect day of the event.

After expenses, Brandt said Little Silver Day netted $25,000, which was distributed in $500 amounts to the fire company, the EMS, the Markham Place PTO and the Point Road PTO. The Little Silver Garden Club received $250. This spring, a $1,000 scholarship will be offered to a graduating Red Bank Regional senior for a winning essay.

“We plan on doing all these on an annual basis,” said Brandt.
The Taste of Little Silver event will be held on Prospect Avenue, from the intersection of Markham Place to Church Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 21. Residents who r un businesses, or merchants who operated borough businesses, can pay for $50 for a 10×10 foot spot. The profits will go back to the fund to help support future events.
It is hoped the event will give all borough businesses a boost, and a chance for neighbors to meet neighbors, and support the borough’s name day. There will also be an informational cocktail hour for Little Silver business owners and managers at Rum Runner, Sea Bright, from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30.
“We want every single business to be involved in Little Silver Day,” said Brandt