This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
GEORGETOWN, Del. - Return Day celebrates unity and tradition, including a tradition that Kirk Lawson has carried for generations.
Since 2014, Kirk Lawson has been the Town Crier reading the returns of the election at Sussex County's Return Day.
Kirk Lawson, right, reading the returns of the election in Georgetown.
"I solicited for the job of town crier and I was fortunate enough when it became available that they put me in that position, which I'm very thankful for," said Lawson.
Ronnie Dodd, Lawson's great uncle served as the Town Crier from 1962 to 1992 and was even featured in a film called "Portrait of America."
After watching Dodd through his childhood and teen years, Lawson felt called to the position.
"To get to see that up close and personal, it gave me a sense of wanting to carry that on," Lawson explained.
When Lawson shared with his family that he would be following in Dodd's footsteps, he was given a numbers of items including his uncle's bow tie, vest and top hat.
Town Crier's top hat for Return Day.
Along with these items, he was given very clear advice from one Town Crier to the next.
"To know him, he's a man of few words and he's pretty direct," said Lawson. "So it was pretty much 'speak clearly and don't show any favoritism' and that was about it. I try to do that," he continued.
Now that he's earned the position he's always wanted, taking the torch from his uncle,
Kirk Lawson, left, and Ronnie Dodd, right, on Return Day in 1990 in Georgetown.
Lawson plans to hold onto it for a while but someday hopes to hand it off to another member of his family, his son Robby.
Robby Lawson, left, and Kirk Lawson, right on Return Day in 2014 in Georgetown.
"He has shown interest. So I'm assuming that going forward he'll grab a hold of that willingness to carry on the tradition and show everybody how it's been done for generations," Lawson shared.
Every two years, Lawson returns to the Sussex County Courthouse balcony. Some could call it a civic duty or a calling to continue this unique tradition on Delmarva.