Special to Dorchester Banner

CAMBRIDGE — More than 20 community volunteers pitched in to welcome out-of-town visitors during the Maryland Lighthouse Challenge, Sept. 15-17. The idea behind the event, which draws lighthouse aficionados from all over the country, is to visit 10 different Maryland lighthouses in one short weekend.

The Choptank River Lighthouse was one of two “Challenge” stops located on the Eastern Shore. On a statewide level, the event was organized by the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Locally, it was managed by the nonprofit Cambridge Lighthouse Foundation.

In addition to volunteer staffing, the Foundation gave Challenge visitors the chance to send postcards out to loved ones telling them about their visit to the Cambridge waterfront and Dorchester County. Volunteer Paul Harrison, a musician, serenaded visitors with his guitar on the Sunday of Challenge weekend. Another volunteer, Norma Howell, created more than 20 painted rocks depicting the Lighthouse and gave them to visiting families.

“We’re very proud of the way our volunteers went all out to give these visitors a first-class welcome and make sure they had a great impression of our community,” said Jim Duffy, the foundation’s part-time executive director. “We were happy, too, that so many Challenge visitors asked for recommendations about local restaurants and told us how happy they were with their accommodations at area hotels. That told us this event was a big win not just for the Lighthouse, but for the whole community.”

The last two visitors of the busy Lighthouse Challenge weekend hailed from Staten Island, NY.