The Dare County Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved a proclamation declaring April 21, 2021, as “Outer Banks Woman’s Club Day.” The proclamation was approved at the Board of Commissioners meeting that was held at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 19, 2021.
April 21, 2021, marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Outer Banks Woman’s Club, which is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) and was granted a charter by the North Carolina GFWC on April 21, 1971.
Members of the Outer Banks Woman’s Club are dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service as well as various fundraising and service projects within the community, state and country.
Throughout the past half century, the Outer Banks Woman’s Club has made a significant and long-lasting impact on the lives of thousands of individuals in the Outer Banks community through dozens of initiatives the club has undertaken in Dare County.
Among these initiatives are the Angel Gift Project, which the Outer Banks Woman’s Club started 34 years ago to provide 200-300 local children with toys and clothes for Christmas each year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Outer Banks Woman’s Club provided Christmas gifts for 246 children from 103 families in 2020.
Each year since 1975—with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions—the Outer Banks Woman’s Club has hosted a craft fair for local seniors who are able to sell their products and receive the proceeds from their crafts to help pay for their own taxes and living expenses.
The Outer Banks Woman’s Club played a pivotal role in the development of the Youth Center for Dare County in Kill Devil Hills. In the 1980s, the Outer Bank’s Woman’s Club recognized the need for a youth center and worked for 10 years to raise both awareness and funds for its creation. The facility, which is operated by the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department’s Northern Beach Division, opened its doors to the public in 1996.
For 47 years, the Outer Banks Woman’s Club has awarded numerous scholarships to high school graduates in Dare County who are seeking a college degree, as well as scholarships for women in Dare County who are returning to college later in life.
Perhaps the most significant contribution the Outer Banks Woman’s Club has made to the Outer Banks community is the establishment of a major health care facility in Dare County. Recognizing the need for a medical doctor and health facility on the Outer Banks, the organization worked with other local agencies to establish the Outer Banks Health Center—which is now the Outer Banks Hospital—in Nags Head in 1996.
Two years ago, the Outer Banks Woman’s Club initiated the Books for Babies Program at the Outer Banks Hospital. As part of this program, books are purchased and given to parents to encourage them to read to their babies and help nurture a lifelong love of reading.
In 1996—the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Outer Banks Woman’s Club—the Dare County Board of Commissioners declared April 21 of that year as “Outer Banks Woman’s Club Day” in honor of the organization’s efforts and its members’ quarter century of service to the Outer Banks community.
In addition to the Dare County Board of Commissioners and North Carolina CFWC, the Outer Banks Woman’s Club has also been recognized by the Governor of North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Human Resources and the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about the Outer Banks Woman’s Club, visit www.gfwc-obwc.org.
This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.