By Staff
Nonprofit group helps fix houses
By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
With help from regional realtors, Homes4NC has been providing relief for those in Beaufort County with housing problems.
The third-annual Homes4NC Golf Tournament, which will be held Monday at the Washington Yacht and Country Club, gives the non-profit program another opportunity to raise money for those in need.
The tournament is sponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Board of Realtors, as well as other regional realtor boards.
As tournament sponsor, WBCBR donated $5,000 to Homes4NC, while other realtor boards donated $1,000 each as major sponsors. In addition, local businesses, including Systems Engineering, Cooperative Bank, Coldwell Banker, Edward Jones and Wachovia Bank, have donated $100 each as tee and green sponsors.
Homes4NC is a nonprofit organization within the NCAR that receives the donations.
Homes4NC is a “program whose initiative is to ensure affordable housing is available for low-to-moderate-income families in N.C.,” according to Litchfield.
Last year, the tournament raised $19,500 for Homes4NC, according to Star Cradle, area executive for WBCBR.
The money raised was donated through a matching grant to Officer Matthew Bailey of the Washington Police Department. The donation helped Bailey purchase a home in Washington.
The WBCBR plans to use some of the money raised through the tournament to help an area resident again this year.
Realtor Gina Amaxopulos is usually called upon to find a person in need, according to Cradle.
To help Beaufort County residents in need, such as Bailey, WBCBR works with Homes4NC to “make matching grants to nonprofit and public agencies that help low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs,” according to the Homes4NC Web site.
Homes4NC also provides emergency disaster relief.
The WBCBR and Homes4NC are providing plenty of incentives for participants in the golf tournament, besides helping a good cause.
The golfers, who pay $100 to participate, will compete for numerous prizes. The golfer who finishes first will receive a $400 gift certificate to the Washington Yacht and Country Club pro shop. Second through fourth place finishers will also receive gift certificates to the pro shop.
There will also be awards given out for the longest drive on holes three and 16 and drives closest to pin on holes five, 10, 13 and 15.
Lee’s Chevrolet will be giving out a hole-in-one prize on the hole that club golf professional Jeremy Shadle Washington picks.
Shadle plays a big role in organizing the tournament, according to Cradle.
Cradle expects turnout for the tournament to be consistent with last year’s fundraiser.
Cradle looks forward to the tournament.