Ocracoke Student at UNC Chapel Hill Supported by the Greg & Eden Honeycutt Scholarship Fund

By: Emmy Benton

Greg and Eden Honeycutt love the Outer Banks. Ask anyone who knows them and you’ll see that Ocracoke Island and Hatteras Island will always have a special place in their hearts.

In 2006, Greg and Eden established the Greg & Eden Honeycutt Scholarship Fund to support college-bound seniors from Cape Hatteras Secondary School and Ocracoke School. Their goal was to give back to the community that had given them so much, and to invest in the future of Outer Banks youth.

Mariah Temple, a rising sophomore at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and alumna of Ocracoke School, received the Honeycutt’s scholarship in 2024 and will continue to benefit from it throughout all four years of college. She said she couldn’t be more grateful for the couple’s generosity.

“Getting the scholarship in their name, especially from two people who have really dedicated their time and support to the island, is really meaningful and inspiring,” Temple said. “It’s a sign to give back one day like that myself, hopefully.”

Eden Honeycutt grew up in Perquimans County and was no stranger to beach life. She had been coming to the Outer Banks ever since she was a child and knew she could never live far from the ocean.

Greg, on the other hand, was a mountain man through and through. Having graduated from Appalachian State University in 1975, he first came to the Outer Banks during the summer of 1978 to visit one of his fraternity brothers. He loved it so much he ended up staying through the winter, eventually getting to know many of the locals he would soon call friends.

Greg and Eden met during the summer of 1979 while he was waiting tables at the Seafare Restaurant, where she was a hostess. The pair hit it off and have been together ever since.

Greg and Eden started Ocean Atlantic Rentals in 1979, after recognizing a need for a company that could provide everything visitors and rental companies needed to have a great vacation, from beach gear to linens. The business has grown to become a major provider of rentals for events, especially weddings.

Once Ocean Atlantic Rentals began to grow, the couple wanted to use their good fortune to better the community they called home. The first project that they set their sights on? The YMCA in Nags Head. Greg chaired the board that raised the funds to build the Outer Banks YMCA, and the couple gave a gift themselves to help fund it.

As they began spending more time on the Outer Banks, Greg started serving on the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF) board of directors, and both Greg and Eden became increasingly involved in the community. Greg first got involved with OBCF because he saw firsthand the foundation’s impact in the community.

“When you put your money with the Outer Banks Community Foundation, it’s going to be well taken care of and it’s going to do a lot of good,” Greg said.  “We started the endowment because there weren’t many scholarships available to students in Ocracoke and Hatteras. We wanted to make a greater impact.

In 1997, the Honeycutts built a new home on Ocracoke Island and moved to Ocracoke permanently in the early 2000s. Their link to the schools began when Eden started volunteering with kindergarten and first-grade classes on Ocracoke Island, which she did for about 15 years. It was the beginning of her reputation as the loving “Miss Eden” to everyone in town.

The couple continued to be generous to the Ocracoke community through various projects, including the establishment of Ocracoke Community Park, a multi-use space that has become integral to the lives of the people of Ocracoke.

The Greg & Eden Honeycutt Scholarship is a four-year renewable scholarship open to seniors graduating from Cape Hatteras Secondary School or Ocracoke School. Students must attend an in-state public college or university and demonstrate both financial need and strong academic standing.

“Thank you so much for your generosity with this scholarship,” Mariah told the Honeycutts. “I am truly grateful to be the renewed recipient of your support, and it means so much to me and my educational journey at Carolina. I appreciate and am forever inspired by your help!”

Greg and Eden Honeycutt’s story shows how a deep love for a place can turn into meaningful action. For decades, they’ve strengthened the Outer Banks through their community efforts and support. Their ongoing involvement and care are a quiet but steady example of how to invest in a place you call home.

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 creating a charitable fund. Start your journey today and make a lasting difference in the lives of those around us.  For more information about creating or contributing to a charitable fund, please visit OBCF.org or call (252) 423-3003.

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.