Fins Up Festival raises money to support Wrightsville Beach community
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A local group is combining a love of the ocean with a mission to give back to the community.
The ninth annual Fins Up Festival was held Sunday at Wrightsville Beach Brewery to raise money for Friends of Wrightsville Beach, a local nonprofit that supports water sports, environmental efforts and the community.
The festival featured local vendors, merchandise and live music, including a Jimmy Buffett tribute band.
Organizer Rik Beitel said proceeds from the event will help fund programs such as the organization’s Beach Walker Project, which provides beach-access mats designed to make it easier for people with mobility challenges to reach the ocean.
“One of our board of aldermen was telling me that she has a good friend that is disabled,” Beitel said. “She’s in Durham. She’s going to rent a van to bring her down here and put her on the mat so she can get to the ocean.”
Beitel said Friends of Wrightsville Beach is also working to establish a scholarship fund for students involved in water sports.
The fund would provide scholarships to one male and one female student to help pay for school at Cape Fear Community College or the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
