There were two reasons to celebrate on Friday, June 9, 2023. Dare County Schools were officially out for the summer, and the newest non-profit on Hatteras Island, Outer Banks Buddies, was making its debut.
Outer Banks Buddies is a non-profit organization similar to the Big Brother/Big Sister program that serves the youth and the elderly through a matching system that creates one-on-one mentoring friendships.
This group is connecting community members who can help children enjoy activities, or spend some time with an older person to enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat. Their motto is “It takes a village, and WE ARE THAT VILLAGE”.
The Schools Out Deck Jam was hosted by The Inn on Pamlico Sound and was a family-friendly event full of fun. The children spent their time swimming and playing deck games and were also treated to a free slushy from OBX Sunset Slush.
Food and drinks were available for purchase from Café Pamlico with a special deck menu while attendees were able to enjoy live music played by SOULone. A raffle took place thanks to the many generous donations from local businesses in hopes to raise some startup funds for Outer Banks Buddies kick-off season this fall.
Thanks to the generosity of the island, Outer Banks Buddies was able to raise about $2,000. The organization says that this money will be used to help with the cost of training the new volunteer buddies, equipment that will be supplied such as first-aid and snack kits, any costs that are encountered to host buddy-friendly events and other startup expenses. They also have dreams to one day give Outer Banks Buddies scholarships as the organization grows.
To learn more about Outer Banks Buddies or how you can get involved you can visit their Facebook page. The Dare County Fessenden Center- Buxton will have registration available in their Fall 2023 newsletter.
