Really Really Free Market open in Avon on Saturdays

 
(Please send us information about what folks — on and off the island — can do to help those who who need in in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.  We welcome news about needed donations of cash and goods, special needs, fundraisers, and anything and everything that will assist islanders.  Send the information to editor@islandfreepress.org.)

Fun run and walk will benefit Really, Really Free Market

Kilmarlic Health and Racquet Club in Harbinger will host  a fun run/walk 5K and half-mile run/walk for kids to help the Really, Really Free Market on Hatteras Island on Saturday, Dec.3 at 10 a.m. The cost for adults is, $5, plus bring at least one item on the free market needs list. Kids are $3, plus something on the list. What you get is the run/walk, festive hat to wear during the event, pizza, soft drinks, beer, prizes, best costume awards and a great band.

Sign up on www.fsseries.com. Click on Running Events on the left border and then scroll down the page to Outer Banks Races and it is listed in December. 

For more information, contact Ed Beckley on 252-256-1084 and ejbeckleyjr@yahoo.com.

Students are collecting Christmas decorations for hurricane victims

Foster Mattingly and Victoria Gaskins, both seniors at Cape Hatteras Secondary School, are out to make sure that families in the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo whose homes and belongings were lost or damaged in Hurricane Irene in August  have a brighter Christmas.

The students are active in the school’s DECA organization, which requires them to participate in competitive events.

Mattingly and Gaskins have chosen a community service project that will help out their neighbors in the tri-villages.

They figure that those islanders who lost everything – or almost everything—in the storm have also lost their Christmas decorations.

Their goal is to collect a full Christmas set for 30 families. This includes a Christmas tree, lights, ornaments, and a tree skirt. They have asked several large companies to donate lights, ornaments, or Christmas trees.  And they would also appreciate donations from residents and visitors.

Collection boxes have been placed at Spa Koru in Avon, East Carolina Bank in Avon,    Sun Realty in Avon, Surf or Sound Realty in Avon, Outer Beaches Realty in Avon,    Teach’s Lair in Hatteras, and RBC Bank in Buxton
 
The students also will accept monetary donations.  Checks should be made out  to CHSS DECA and can be mailed to P.O. Box 71, Buxton NC, 27920.

Donations can also be shipped to Irene’s Giving Tree, 47468 Highway 12, Buxton, NC 27920.

For more information, contact Foster Mattingly at  mattinglyfo7911@daretolearn.org.

Kitty Hawk Kites donates to Hurricane Irene relief effort

In the first company-wide staff meeting held after Hurricane Irene carved a path of destruction across the Outer Banks, John Harris, founder and president of Kitty Hawk Kites, announced to his staff that the company would launch a coordinated campaign to collect relief supplies and raise money for those whose lives had been most severely impacted by the storm.

While four of his company’s Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island locations remained closed and inaccessible as a result of the damage to Highway 12, Harris said that all operating Kitty Hawk Kites, Kitty Hawk Surf Co., and Life is good locations would collect relief supplies and monetary donations that would then be given directly to the Outer Banks Interfaith Community Outreach. As a way of encouraging others to step-up contributions, Harris announced that his company would match, dollar for dollar, all in-store individual monetary donations up to $5,000.

Today, Oct. 14, as a result of the kindness of many who have given freely and anonymously, Harris announced that Kitty Hawk Kites has been able to deliver three van loads of donated items and match $3,738 in cash donations to the Outer Banks Interfaith Community Outreach, resulting in a total monetary donation of $7,476.

“It’s been amazing to see the generosity of locals and visitors,” said Heather Doyle, assistant manager at Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head. “People have been handing us money faster than we can ask them to donate.”

Kitty Hawk Kites’ events coordinator, Amanda Baker, who oversaw logistics for the relief campaign, said she’s seen donations of everything from clothes and mops to bug repellant and cat food.
All supply and monetary donations given to the Outer Banks Interfaith Community Outreach remain in Outer Banks communities. 

Hatteras village merchants raise money for tri-villages
 
Hatteras Island merchants, along with island residents and visitors, came together Tuesday, Sept. 20, in support of the Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo communities with a benefit that netted $1,762. The merchants of the Beacon Shops — Sue Jones of Izabelle’s Closet, Richard Batterson, Tracy Whedbee, and Rebecca Dolan of Road’s End Gallery and Wine Shop, and Happy Belly Ice Cream organized the event. Hot dogs were provided by Burrus Red & White Supermarket,. Pizza was donated by Rocco’s, followed by ice cream, fudge, and smoothies from Happy Belly Ice Cream. Road’s End Gallery and Wine Shop hosted a wine tasting and Izabelle’s Closet put on a fashion show. There were raffles for gift certificates and merchandise donated from local businesses and distributors. The organizers want to thank Burrus Red & White, Rocco’s, Risky Business Seafood, Coastal Beverage, Empire Distributors, Tryon Distributors, Country Vintnor Distributors, and Pepsi Bottling for their generosity and help in making this event so successful. They would also like to recognize their staff members — Jan Scarborough, Dylan Farrow, and Chris Kersnick –who volunteered their time and energies to make this event happen for the benefit of our neighbors in the tri-villages.

Unemployment benefits available
 
Hyde County residents who lost their jobs or could not work because of Hurricane Irene are now able to apply for unemployment benefits, according to a release from the N.C. Employment Security Commission (ESC).

This applies to all workers, even those who are self-employed, such as fishermen.

Application deadlines are approaching, so those who qualify are urged to apply as soon as possible

To sign up or for more information, call N.C. ESC at 866-795-8877.

FEMA will setup a center at Fessenden Center

FEMA today opened a center at the Fessenden Center in Buxton to help residents and business owners understand and apply for the different types of aid that is available to them. A representative of the SBA will also be there.

The center is open from noon until 7 p.m. today, and from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Lowe’s donates cleanup supplies to Dare County

In the wake of Hurricane Irene, Lowe’s Heroes in Eastern North Carolina and Southeastern Virginia will provide more than $50,000 worth of critically needed cleanup supplies to the Dare County Emergency Management team to assist with local recovery efforts. Dare County officials will distribute the supplies to residents in the county’s affected Outer Banks communities.

Lowe’s Heroes from Elizabeth City, N.C., and Lowe’s stores in Virginia Beach, East Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, West Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., will dropped off the supplies on Friday, Sept. 9, at the Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo.

The supplies include more than 1,000 brooms, rakes and shovels, 1,100 gallons of bleach, 1,800 five-gallon pails, 22,000 pounds of pulverized lime and 33,000 trash bags.

The donation is part of Lowe’s pledge to donate $1 million to Hurricane Irene disaster relief and rebuilding efforts along the East Coast.  

“The residents of Dare County have displayed great resilience and unity in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and the historic flooding it caused,” said Bill Valentine, regional vice president for Lowe’s. “Lowe’s asked Dare County officials how we can help, and they provided a list of critically needed supplies. We’re committed to working alongside our neighbors as many of them return to their homes this week to clean up and begin to rebuild their lives.”

Really Really Free Market open everyday in Salvo

The Kinnakeet Civic Association’s Really Really Free Market will be today and everyday until further notice at 26006 St. Waves Plaza in Salvo from 1-3 p.m. Thank you, Suzette Calderia, for securing the facility! Thank you to Dillon’s Corner for collecting items to donate. If anyone has donations, they can be dropped off at the new Free Market location, 26006 St Waves Plaza in Salvo between the hours of 1-3 p.m.  Volunteers are needed to during the event. Please contact Maggie Dawson at 216-7118 to sign up.

Alita Carroll is making a trip up there Tuesday and will be happy to carry up any donations (see below what is needed) – call her at 995-6643.
 

 
EVERYTHING WILL BE FREE AND EVERYONE is welcome to stop by and browse the items available.