Soon, every fifth grader in New Hanover County may have a chance to visit Masonboro Island, after Masonboro.org announced during its fundraiser Thursday that the Duke Energy Foundation awarded a $35,000 grant to the nonprofit organization.
The grant will be enough to take up to 1,200 students to the island as part of the Masonboro Island Explorer program. Last year, the program took about 800 students.
As the organization continues to fundraise, it seeks to raise enough to take all 2,000 New Hanover County students to the island for the science-based field trips, said Tom Hackler, Masonboro.org’s new president.
For many students, the journey to the uninhabited barrier island between Wrightsville and Carolina beaches is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Hackler said.
“Some have never been to the beach before. Some have never even been on a boat,” he said.
At the Bradley Creek Marina, Masonboro.org held its annual fundraiser party, where visitors enjoyed food from Vito’s Pizza and C Street Mexican Grill, listened to bluegrass music from Masonboro Sound and bid on several auction items, including a surfboard, a boat excursion and hand-crafted wine racks. Overall, the event raised $9,200.
Hackler said the organization would have to raise $50,000 to extend participation to all of the county’s fifth graders.
Taking the students to Masonboro Island is an expensive proposition, Hackler said, mainly due to insurance. It costs about $35 to fund each student’s field trip to the island.
Duke Energy Foundation representative April England said the island explorer program fits within the foundation’s K-12 STEM education program.
“It’s giving an opportunity to children that they’ve never had before,” England said. “It’s an opportunity for them to be educated about where they live.”
In addition to running the island explorer program, red-shirted Masonboro.org volunteers will help keep the island clean by collecting trash after weekends when the island gets a large number of visitors, like July Fourth.
Woodworker Mike Fox brought selections from his Re’Wine studio, including a wine rack constructed from wine barrels and a hand-crafted Backbone longboard. Fox stood by the items, engaging with interested shoppers.
“I like to connect with the people interested in the boards,” said Fox, whose board sold for $250. “When I see something cool, I like to make something that’s even cooler. I want the bidders to know the story behind these items.”
The Masonboro.org fundraiser is in its sixth year. One of the early organizers was board member Audrey Holloman, who staged fundraisers at the Buddy’s Crab House & Oyster Bar, the former Wrightsville Beach watering hole that she managed.
She made her first visit to the island when she was 7, which also held special memories of her grandfather. She said she wanted today’s younger generation to make their own connections with the island, putting an early emphasis on the need to care for and preserve the island.
“That’s why it’s important to bring kids at the fifth-grade level. The kids get it more than the adults do,” Holloman said. “The island is my connection to my grandfather. It’s important that we preserve it so that everyone can enjoy it. Whether you want to surf, to camp, to bring your dog. Come on over.”
Email [email protected]
