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Saturday, May 3, marks yet another milestone, as the Beaufort County High School in Pantego celebrates its 63rd annual homecoming.

“Our parents and grandparents helped to start this school by selling baked goods,” said Carolyn McCloud, executive secretary of the Beaufort County High School Alumni Association. “They contributed those funds to assist Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears and Roebuck, and Booker T. Washington, of the Tuskegee Institute, in their initiative to advance black education by building over 813 Rosenwald Schools throughout North Carolina.”

As is tradition, the event will kick off with the annual parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Weeping Mary Church in Pantego and make its way to Beaufort County High School, 150 Swamp Road, in Pantego. There will be all kinds of activities for children and adults, including music, dancing, basketball, horseshoes, corn hole, face painting, raffles, and much more. Plenty of food will also be on hand, from fried fish to hot dogs. 

Vendor space is still available. To reserve a spot, contact:

Barbara Leathers

718-813-7929

Sharon Greig 

252-945-4223

Loretta Younger 

252-943-4975

On Friday evening, May 2, the Beaufort County High School Alumni Association will also be hosting its annual homecoming fundraiser banquet at Beaufort County Community College (BCCC). The theme is Grounded in Our Roots. The keynote speaker will be Cynthia Whitney, whose parents graduated from Beaufort County High School. A video of interviews with former students of the school will also be played. There will be door prizes and a raffle for a 75-inch smart TV. The meal, catered by Pro Staffing Solution at BCCC, will include roasted turkey and gravy, glazed ham. The event is open to the public. There will be a $50 tax-deductible donation for adults, and $25 for kids 12 to 18. For more information, contact Loretta Younger at 252-943-4975.

All proceeds from the banquet and homecoming festivities at Beaufort County High School will go to the Beaufort County Pantego Community Center. “The building remains in disrepair, and these much-needed funds will help us to rebuild it,” said McCloud. “Our goal is to bring back the programs it was known for following its closing in 1968. Things like VA assistance, healthy food and exercise classes, church services, funerals, and even birthday celebrations. Anything that benefited the community, we were doing. And we want to get back to that.”