KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC – Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial, has partnered with REAL Watersports and Carolina Brewery for a $10,000 Giving Tuesday matching challenge.
Giving Tuesday began in 2012 and has expanded to become a global day of giving which, according to Giving Tuesday’s 2021 Impact Report, resulted in givers in the United States collectively contributing $2.7 billion dollars to charitable causes in just one day last year.
“Community is at the heart of Giving Tuesday,” said Jessica Barnes, Director of Outer Banks Forever. “It’s a celebration of the power of people coming together to support causes that are close to their hearts and how giving back not only changes our lives, but also our world.”
This fall, Outer Banks Forever announced the launch of its largest project to date: “Pathways to Your National Parks.” Over the next several years, “Pathways to Your National Parks” will create new paved multi-use paths in all three Outer Banks national parks that will make the parks safer and better connected while honoring the history, culture and coastal environment of the Outer Banks. The first multi-use path to be developed will connect locals and visitors to one of the most popular sites in the Outer Banks: The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Thanks to the generosity of REAL Watersports and Carolina Brewery, all gifts made to Outer Banks Forever’s “Pathways to Your National Parks” this Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, will be doubled with a match until the fundraising goal of $10,000 is met.
“This new multi-use path is going to be an incredible addition to our national park. Running, biking and walking will all now be safely separated from the road. It will also provide a safe and easy way for our local kids to ride their bikes to the beach,” said Trip Foreman, Co-Founder of REAL Watersports and President of Outer Banks Forever’s Board of Directors. “The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is an iconic destination for surfing, kiteboarding, windsurfing, fishing and many other watersports. Investing in our national park will bring many improvements that we can all enjoy for years to come.”
The total estimated cost for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Pathway is just over $2 million. This project is a public-private partnership supported by the National Park Service and individuals and businesses who donate through Outer Banks Forever. To date, just over 75% of the funds have been secured through a federal grant and Outer Banks Forever’s fundraising efforts. Part of Outer Banks Forever’s mission to protect and enhance the Outer Banks national parks is to raise funds to fill the gap on projects like this one that cannot be fully supported by federal funding alone. Individual, family and business sponsor levels are available to those interested in supporting the pathway.
“Carolina Brewery believes in giving back to enhancing Carolina adventures. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse pathway project is near and dear to our hearts, and we couldn’t be more excited about getting this project started and encouraging others to join us,” said Robert Poitras, Founder and CEO of Carolina Brewery and member of the Outer Banks Forever’s Board of Directors.
To learn more about “Pathways to Your National Parks” and how you or your business can support this project and be recognized in the park, visit www.obxforever.org/pathways or email Jessica Barnes, Director of Outer Banks Forever, at JessicaBarnes@OBXForever.org.
Special thanks to these lead sponsors for their generous support of this project: