Grant from the Outer Banks Seafood Festival Fund benefits North Carolina Watermen United

By: Sam Walker

The Outer Banks community gathers every fall at the Outer Banks Seafood Festival to celebrate the bounty of our waters, and the people who put their lives at risk every day to bring it to shore, all which makes our sandbar such a special place to live, work and play.

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is an annual event held the third Saturday of October at the Soundside Event Site in Nags Head, drawing thousands to “eat like a local, drink like a fish”, while promoting the positive impacts of our local seafood industry, educating people about seafood indigenous to North Carolina and the Outer Banks, and providing need-based support to the local fishing community and its members through festival proceeds.

“The Outer Banks Seafood Festival was founded in 2012 as a way to celebrate, promote, and support our local commercial fishing industry,” said Richard Hess, Chairman of the Outer Banks Seafood Festival Board. “Commercial fishing is a big part of our community’s cultural heritage, and it is vitally important to the Outer Banks. Our board is inspired to continue this annual event and steward event proceeds for the benefit of our working watermen and women and their families.”

In 2022, the Outer Banks Seafood Festival’s Board of Directors created an endowed designated fund at the Outer Banks Community Foundation to support the Outer Banks Seafood Festival and its philanthropy for the local fishing heritage, resources, industries, and commercial fishing community.

One of the nonprofits that the Outer Banks Seafood Festival Fund supports is the North Carolina Watermen United (NCWU), whose mission is to stand as a voice advocating for those who work the water every day, representing members of the charter-for-hire, head boat, commercial and recreational sectors, up and down North Carolina’s coast.

“We reinforce our mission by participating in community events, such as Day at the Docks and the Outer Banks Seafood Festival, with interactive presentations and educational activities,” said North Carolina Watermen United President Woody Joyner. “A generous donation from the Outer Banks Seafood Festival’s Fund at the Outer Banks Community Foundation has provided the NCWU with the funds to assist our fishing communities. Our Foundation Relief Fund also allows us to receive monetary donations for a specific cause from the surrounding fishing communities and disperse those funds to the deserving families.”

On the night of Sunday, March 3, Capt. Charlie Griffin, mate Chad Dunn, and the captain’s beloved dog Leila were aboard a 30-foot recreational vessel traveling from Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach to Wanchese.

While trying to pass through treacherous Oregon Inlet, the boat ran into engine trouble and was swamped by 6-foot seas, and sadly all three were lost to the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

Soon after the tragic accident, Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce President/CEO and Seafood Festival Executive Director Karen Brown formally requested that a donation be made from the Outer Banks Community Foundation-held fund to N.C. Watermen United for distribution to the families.

“Making this donation to the families of Charlie and Chad was something close to our hearts,” Brown said. “They were a big part of the Outer Banks fishing community, and we felt it was important to help the families with any expenses they had during this time. This fund allows us to help our fishing community when they need it most.”

The Community Foundation notes that as with all endowed funds, it is structured to be a permanent resource for generations to come.

“The maritime industry is a cornerstone and key economic driver of our Outer Banks,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Chris Sawin. “This is the first fund established at the Community Foundation to specifically support the hard-working members of this industry, and we couldn’t be more grateful to The Outer Banks Seafood Festival for their generous efforts.”

Brown added that their donation wasn’t about the festival, it was about the families.

“We were not looking for recognition,” Brown said. “We did it out of kindness and love.”

The Outer Banks Seafood Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the t-shirt for the 2024 event is a fitting tribute to Charlie, Chad and Leila.

For more information about the event, visit https://www.outerbanksseafoodfestival.org.

Donations directly to the Griffin and Dunn families are still being accepted through the N.C. Watermen Foundation. Checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 205, Hatteras, NC 27943.

Contributions to the Seafood Festival endowment fund can be made online at https://www.obcf.org/donate.

It has never been easier for you to make a real impact in our community! At the Outer Banks Community Foundation, there are countless ways to get involved in philanthropy, and one of the simplest and most effective is by creating a donor-advised fund. Start your journey today and make a lasting difference in the lives of those around us.

About the Outer Banks Community Foundation: The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.