Ticket sales will end today (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
By Connie Leinbach
It’s not every day that the raffling of a famous author’s book goes off the rails.
That’s what happened in late November when best-selling author Patricia Cornwell visited Ocracoke with some friends and dropped in to the island’s bookstore, Books to be Red.
Owner Leslie Lanier said she had about a 15-minute heads up but that the only copy of Cornwell’s latest book, “Sharp Force,” had just been sold and she didn’t have one for when Cornwell would show up.
When Cornwell did show up, her friends introduced her to Lanier.
“She was kind and generous,” Lanier said. “She immediately just handed me two signed books and said one’s for you and one’s for whatever you want to do with it.”
Lanier thought maybe it might be good to raffle one off with proceeds going to the Bread of Life Food Pantry at the Life Saving Church.
“I was hoping we might make $500, and it has just blown up into something much bigger,” she said.
That something was Cornwell herself offering to match ticket sales up to $10,000.
Now, sales of the $2 raffle tickets are nearly $6,000 with in-person and a huge number of online sales via their Facebook page.
“That’s a lot of tickets,” Lanier said, who also added several items from her shop to the raffle.
Ticket sales will end today (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. and the drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
Lanier also takes PayPal and Venmo. Call her at 252-921-0468.
Like all food pantries, Ocracoke’s needs money.
The Ocracoke pantry receives food from the Food Bank of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.
Life Saving Church Pastor Tim Howard was thrilled with the fundraiser.
“This is very timely,” he said, noting that Ocracoke’s food pantry was doing well at the moment but noted that they hadn’t been able to get as much from Albemarle.
He’s hoping to source more food from inside the island, acknowledging the recent food drives by the Future Business Leaders of America Club and the United Methodist Church for nonperishable items.
And Ocracoke Island Realty donated 10 Thanksgiving dinners.
But money gives him a way to buy meat and other frozen items from local grocers.
“We’re not out of meat but we’re starting to get low,” he said.
With cash, the food pantry can purchase meat: chicken breasts, ground beef and sometime steaks.
The pantry serves 10 to 12 island families each month, he said.
Howard said visitors to the island are welcome to drop off unused groceries on the pantry’s front porch as they depart.
Those wishing to donate perishable items should call Howard at 304-676-3308 in advance so that these items can be stored properly. You can also have food shipped directly to the pantry by visiting the pantry food list on Amazon.
That is so moving. It is another example of the charity and generosity of the Ocracoke community. Please retain your unique identity and caring.
Comments are closed.