Marvin Carney chosen as Mae Hall McCabe Award honoree

March 1, 2024 6

The Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce board of directors and staff members are pleased to announce the 2024 recipient of the Mae Hall McCabe Award is Marvin Carney.

The Mae Hall McCabe Award was established in 1977 by her great-nephew, Joseph B. Hill, to honor her life and legacy. McCabe was one of the first women Realtors in the state of Delaware, and for more than 50 years she gave unselfishly of her time to contribute to the needs of Rehoboth Beach. McCabe helped organize the Rehoboth Beach Chamber of Commerce and was later elected as its president, the first woman to serve in that position for any chamber in Delaware. She was also known for her extensive involvement with many other community organizations.

Since the award was first presented to Harry Derrickson in 1978, the chamber has recognized an outstanding member of the community each year who has shown a sustained, selfless commitment to community service.

In addition to 25 years of service with the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, Carney has dedicated his time to assisting many community organizations including Meals on Wheels, Boardwalk Buddy Walk, KINfolk, Mason’s Mobility Mission and Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding. He served as board chair for the chamber in 2007 and was a stalwart volunteer at its signature Sea Witch Parade each year, where he could be found unloading trucks and taking photos throughout the day.

In 2010, Marvin and his wife Becky started the Delaware Beach Book in response to outsiders coming to the area and trying to represent its culture in glossy books that contained little more than hotel advertisements. Each year, as part of their commitment to support the True Blue Jazz organization, they donate a portion of book sales to support local scholarships that are granted through the True Blue Jazz Kids Youth Initiative.

McCabe’s altruistic spirit continues to shine through people like Marvin Carney, who make the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach area a better place to live, work and play. His contributions have always gone above and beyond, making him the perfect fit to add to the distinguished list of Mae-Hall McCabe Award winners.