First Chance Auction

Immerse yourself in island life –

Need a getaway? We have two vacation spots up for auction May 18 at First Chance for White Pants. But you can’t win if you don’t come. Round up your friends, get a bidding strategy together. And get your tickets now!

Sand Castle

Spend one off-season week in a beautiful 5- or 6-bedroom Sand Castle property at Emerald Isle. With options for spacious floorplans and stunning Bogue Sound views, you pick the home (valued up to $4,500) that best fits your needs. Valid Oct. 8, 2023-March 4, 2024. View your options

Donated by Emerald Isle Realty

 

Harkers Island Bungalow

Enjoy three nights – any season – at this authentic 1940s beach bungalow with 2 bedrooms and a water view. The home features front and back decks, charcoal grill, and plenty of room for cars and boat trailers. See details

 Donated by Brad and Suzanne Williams

 

Take the sunshine with you –

Radiant Diamond Earrings

Bright and versatile, these fluted bezel studs are 14k yellow gold with two round diamonds, .03cts total, GH/SI

Donated by Bailey’s Fine Jewelry





An Experience to Remember

Travel Raffle | A $100 ticket buys your chance to win one of six incredible experiences

Set Sail in Bar Habor

Airfare not included | Bar Harbor is known as the gateway to Acadia National Park, one of America’s favorite parks, and is situated on Mount Desert Island right on the gorgeous Frenchman’s Bay. Enjoy three nights for two at The Inn on Mount Desert, breakfasts included, and a two-hour windjammer sailing trip. Get the details: Set Sail in Bar Harbor

Fairmont Scottsdale Golf and Spa

Airfare not included | Enjoy this breathtaking resort in the Valley of the Sun. Three nights and daily breakfasts for two at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, plus $500 toward golf at TPC Scottsdale and Fairmont Princess Spa treatments. Championship golf courses challenge your skills and unique spa retreats offer personalized programs. The AAA Five Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale Princess offers world-class hospitality and unparalleled luxury. Get the details: Fairmont Scottsdale Golf and Spa

Southern Charm

Airfare not included | Savannah is one of the most romantic cities in the United States. Enjoy three nights for two at select Savannah hotels, plus a private horse-drawn carriage ride and a culinary-cultural walking tour. The historic downtown district is filled with towering oak trees, horse-drawn carriages, and dramatic antebellum mansions that survived General Sherman’s fiery march to the sea during the Civil War. Get the details: Southern Charm

Tennessee Whiskey Adventure

Airfare not included | Enjoy an immersive small-group tour for two and learn the story of Jack Daniel, his hometown, and his world famous whiskey. This trip includes three nights for two at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville and a guided transportation tour with a whiskey expert, an exclusive salute to Jack Daniel at his grave, elevated tasting of premium whiskeys at Jack Daniel Distillery, and lunch in Lynchburg. Get the details: Tennessee Whiskey Adventure

Pro Sports Fan Getaway

Airfare *is* included | Enjoy two weekend nights for two plus tickets of your choice to an exciting Friday, Saturday, or Sunday MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL regular season game, or a non-major PGA golf tournament. That’s up to 5,000 games a year to choose from, among 50 markets nationwide. Get the details: Ultimate Pro Sports Fan Getaway

Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

Airfare not included | Enjoy an unique brewery experience at Samuel Adams Brewery and see the process used to brew this craft beer. This package includes three nights and daily breakfasts for two at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. You can choose the Beyond the Brewhouse Tour or enjoy three exclusive brewery-only barrel aged beers paired with local cheese on the Bierkeller Barrel Aged Experience. Dinner at Oak Long Bar + Kitchen also included. Get the details: Samuel Adams Brewery Tour

 



Kaydin

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When I look at you, I see I have a family to go to whenever.
When I hold you, I feel that I am safe and I don’t have to worry if I can eat or sleep that day.
When I smell you, I smell the cupcakes we were eating that day at the celebration of our adoption.
When I first saw you I knew that it was finally true.

When I think about you, I think of all the years that I felt sad but now that I have you I’m happier.
When I imagine my life without you, I picture a place I would feel unsafe.
When I hear others say you are a ring*, I say you are way more to me.
When others see you they think of you as jewelry, I think [of] you as new mom.

When I feel cold on my skin you remind me that I don’t have to worry.
When others say I’m the girl that was in foster care and then adopted, you say I’m that girl that is safe now.

*On the day of her adoption, Kayden was gifted a ring by her new mother, Tina


All that is gold does not glitter;
Not all who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not wither.
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
— J.R.R. Tolkien

She was a full-time mom; he was a youth director. They were married, had two girls, and were happy and content. Then an idea got into their heads and would not go away. For 10 years they prayed. At last a door opened and their prayer – to
start a summer camp in eastern North Carolina – became a reality.

Starting a camp led Desta and Sammy to the heretofore unimaginable idea of becoming foster parents. Foster parenting
led them to Maria. And Maria is the spirited, big-hearted, animal-loving daughter at the center of their lives today.

For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.
— Jeremiah 29:11

You probably know this beloved verse by heart. It was originally spoken by Jeremiah to offer hope to God’s people in exile; today we read it at baby baptisms. It is also appropriate for this story about Desta and Sammy. Becoming adoptive parents by way of starting a camp may seem a bit circuitous, but wandering down this path prepared them for a higher calling, one they had never imagined.

Desta and Sammy wandered, but they were never lost. Instead, deeply rooted in faith, they were open and receptive to God’s plan, a plan that fills us all with great hope for the future.

— Rev. Bruce E. Stanley, President / CEO


Love shows up

Sophia, 13

ZoZo, 7

And nobody gets left behind.

Love means being there when someone needs you.
As foster parents, Brittany and Sam knew they’d teach this lesson to any child who came to live in their home. It’s just who they are.
Then cancer flipped the script.

The diagnosis came about six months after Sofia and ZoZo moved in – Sam had brain cancer. Then, another hit – he had a mini-stroke during surgery to remove the cancer. Sam was paralyzed on the left side of his body and faced a long stretch of recovery.

They’ve always been a silver-linings family with a strong faith community, Brittany says. When the word went out, love showed up.


This is what love does.

Brittany remembers standing in the kitchen with Sofia as someone from their church dropped off meals. Sam was still in the hospital and the enormity of it all sank in.

“Sofia – she looked at me and was like, ‘Wow. People really love us.’

“I said, ‘Yeah, they do. This is what love does.’ ”

The church’s meal train fed them for months. People built a wheelchair ramp over the front steps. They picked up the kids from school and took them out for ice cream. “We have a lot of people who’ve loved on them and made sure they feel cared for,” Brittany says.

The siblings’ adoption plan was never in doubt – and when the day arrived, Sam was walking and driving again. The family celebrated in matching T-shirts with a line from Lilo & Stitch, one of their favorite movies: Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.


Because – this is what love does.