For the past few years, the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS^® (OBAR) has held an annual bowling tournament to benefit their Disaster Relief and Scholarship Funds. However, this year OBAR’s 2019 Bowling Tournament Committee decided that there was an immediate need to switch the focus of the event to Outer Banks residents affected by the recent government shutdown. As such, OBAR will be donating all raffle proceeds from the tournament to Lower Currituck Food Pantry, Beach Food Pantry and Hatteras Island Food Pantry, including non-perishable items and monetary donations.

Said committee chair Brook Sparks of Beach Realty & Construction, “It’s bowling time! While last year’s 80s theme was totally rad, it’s a new year and a new theme. Break out your masks and beads and get ready to have some fun Mardi Gras style on February 22 at 6 p.m.! This will be a community-wide event to help support our local residents affected by the recent government shutdown. Because #itcouldhappentoyouOBX and because #OBXRealtorsCare.”

According to Sparks, “The 2019 Bowling Committee didn’t want to limit donations to just the night of the event because there is a need now.”  In order to get donations to the food pantries sooner rather than later, every Tuesday between now and the tourney on February 22 will be known as “Fat Tuesday.” Said 2019 Bowling Committee vice chair Amber Dawson of Hatteras Island Realty – Avon, “We are doing this because we are going to ‘fatten’ up our food pantries and help residents from Currituck down to Ocracoke that have been affected by the shutdown.”

From now until the tourney on February 22, the following businesses are drop off locations:

• OBAR: 201 W. 8th Street, Nags Head, NC 27959 (Karen Pierce or Leah Holmes)
• Beach Realty & Construction – KH: 4820 N Croatan Hwy, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949 (Brook Sparks)
• Hatteras Realty – Avon: 41156 Hwy 12, Avon, NC 27915 (Amber Dawson)
• Starbucks – Southern Shores: 5597-A North Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949

Through the donations of Doug and Laura Davis, Chris Scordo, OBX Monster Truck Rides, Sparks Tractor Service and Nascar’s Ward Burton, the first sixty people to donate five cans to the red box at the Starbucks drop off location will receive Starbucks gift cards.

The bowling tournament is open to the public. Said Dawson, “If you are unable to drop off non-perishables or make a monetary donation on Tuesdays – that is ok! There will be a competition between teams on the night of the event. There will be an award given to the bowling team that brings in the largest amount of non-perishable donations and the team that raises the highest amount of monetary donations. Please make all checks payable to the individual food pantries and not the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS^®.”

The tournament will feature raffle prizes, a 50/50 raffle and a grand prize pre-raffle. The winning team and the team with the most Mardi Gras spirit will also be given awards.

Said Sparks, “It is going to be an evening of fun, food, drinks and some great raffle prizes brought to you by the 2019 Bowling Committee, generous local businesses and OBAR members including. All proceeds from the raffles will be donated to our three food banks We have already received generous donations through local business that include mini vacations from Corolla down to Hatteras. And we invite any local business to donate items for the raffle. This is a community-wide effort and we know how much our locals take pride in taking care of each other.”

If you have homes, prizes or monetary donations that you would like to give for the raffle, contact Karen Pierce at Karenp@outerbanksrealtors.com or 441-4036. All donations will be featured on the OBAR Bowling Tournament Facebook event page.

As with last year, space is limited as there are only 24 teams available. Each team will get a free pizza and a pitcher of beer or soda of choice as part of the registration fee. Register your six person team for $285 by email, karenp@outerbanksrealtors.com, or phone, 252-441-4036.

This event is open to the public. You must register to participate.  For more information contact Karen at karenp@outerbanksrealtors.com.

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