The Ocracoke Community Pool Association will hold a clam chowder cookoff from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, in the Ocracoke Community Center.
Tasting for $10 per person will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for two categories: traditional Ocracoke style (made with clams, potatoes, onions and salt meat or bacon) and innovative, which can be anything as long as clams are prominent.
People’s choice ballots will decide who is awarded the top prizes.
There also will be a raffle and Pool Association T-shirts for sale.
There will be about 12 chowders to taste and Ruth Toth, association president, is still accepting chowder entries if there’s room. Call her at 252-588-2226.
After forming in 2023, through aggressive fundraising the pool association garnered enough money for a down payment on a property, which they bought last year.
Donations have come from all over, Toth said, including people who “just thought it was worth supporting, and they took a chance on us, and hopefully they’ll be very pleased that they did.”
It’s been over 10 years since swimming lessons were conducted by the Ocracoke Youth Center, Toth said. They were the last ones to offer it.
Island hotel pools have declined to allow swimming instruction saying insurance liability covers only their guests.
And the Pamlico Sound is not suitable for large-scale swimming instruction.
Toth said that water safety instruction for children from ages of one to four decrease their chances of drowning by 88%.
