Bi-Op-Sea Wins 33rd Annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament
Bi-Op-Sea Wins 33rd Annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament

The largest ladies-only billfish event set new records this year for teams (154) and purse ($102,000). Team Bi-Op-Sea surpassed last year’s second-place finish by capturing the top trophy and jackpot in 2022.
Photo credits: Capt. Dave Lear

Manteo, North Carolina:

At the 33rd annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle to the awards alter. After finishing second last year, Team Bi-Op-Sea captured the Billfish Jackpot and the top team trophy in 2022. The tally of two sailfish and one blue marlin releases based on time earned a jackpot payout of $44,200 for the local team. Bi-Op-Sea, a 59 Spencer, is owned by Charles “Craig” Johnson and run by Capt. Jesse Granitzki. This year’s memorial tournament set new benchmarks in teams (154) and purse ($102,000). An estimated 950 female anglers competed in the annual contest. 

“We’ve had the same group of girls fishing with us for years,” Granitzki explains. “The team is our wives and girl friends. They all have a good time and are happy to catch fish.” Wendy Hayes and Kay Hall each scored a sailfish as part of an early double-header. Danielle Stine added the blue marlin to the scorecard a short time later. Bi-Op-Sea’s other team members included Mary Dembosky, Taryn Hall, Claudette Lajoie and Cara Sumners. Chris Stine is the boat’s mate.

Tarheel, a 46 Ricky Scarborough run by Capt. John Bayliss, earned second-place honors, also with 350 points. Carson Flatt released a blue marlin, while Nancy Brown and Flatt added a white apiece. John Bayliss, Jr., is the mate and Paige Bayliss, April Piland and Nicole Scotti were the other competitors.

Coming out of the Doghouse (61 Harrison), anglers Ginger Shackleford Oxnard (blue), Denise Jones and Codi Flemming (sailfish) were awarded the third-place billfish trophy. Britton Shackleford was at the helm for the catches. Denise Jones, Audra Shackleford and Bailey Shackleford completed the team with Bo Davenport working the cockpit.

Capt. Barry Daniels and the crew aboard Skirt Chaser, a 54 Buddy Cannady, earned the fourth place trophy after scoring a blue (Paula Snearer) and two sails (Jenny Bray, Chandler Price). Skirt Chaser is based at Oregon Inlet.

Team Gills Gone Wild competed on Mel-O-Dee, a 38 O’Neil run by Capt. Buddy Callaway to record two blue marlin releases for fifth place in the billfish division. Lillie Leavel and Nikki Seward were the anglers on those entries.

In the optional Dolphin Jackpot, winner-take-all division, Waverunner underscored the current situation with inflation. Alyssa Leary’s 16.2 pound dolphin was the heaviest fish and with a payout of $57,800, that catch was worth $3,567 a pound! Brian White runs the 63 Custom boat based in Manteo.

Summer Bracher topped the heaviest tuna of the event at 72.1 pounds. Bracher was fishing on the family boat Pelican (56 Paul Mann) with Capt. Arch Bracher. Freetyme, a 32 Topaz skippered by Capt. Kenneth Freeman Sr., won the top wahoo trophy after Robin Levey boated the biggest entry at 43.5 pounds.

In the individual angler categories, Katherine Farless, competing on Samanna II (58 Ocean), earned the Paula Stansky Award for Angling Excellence after releasing a blue marlin she hooked and landed herself. Capt. Huck Harriss runs the boat. Evie Medico won the Lucy B. Gaddy Junior Angler Scholarship Award after catching a dolphin and releasing a sailfish. Medico was on Carolina Girl, a 53 Jarrett Bay with Capt. Jessie Anderson on the helm. 

“I’m proud of the fact that all the proceeds and 15 percent of the jackpot entries go to the Interfaith Community Outreach organization,” says Alice Kelly Tournament Director Heather Maxwell. “We also have other donations that support the tremendous work this group accomplishes for the Dare County community. Thanks to our teams and sponsors, the tournament will donate more than $60,000 to support those efforts again this year.”

According to ICO Director Jenniffer Albanese, 130 local cancer clients received services through ICO cancer stipends (210 adults and 54 children) last year. Those outreach funds totaled $98,000 to help the afflicted and their families with rent, mortgage, electric, auto repair, home rehabilitation, insurance, water, prescriptions, medical mileage for cancer treatments, lodging for treatment, counseling and funeral expenses. The ICO is a non-profit organization that serves the Outer Banks area and works closely with other charities and churches to help those in need. 

The 34th Annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament is scheduled for August 11-13, 2023, at Pirate’s Cove Marina in Manteo.

Interfaith Community Outreach

There are two events happening this weekend to assist families with school supplies:

Operation Backpack – Come for Free School Supplies!   – Games, puppet shows, hot dogs, health screenings…

Manteo Faith Baptist Church

Aug 20th, 1-5 pm

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Back to School Block Party – Fun for the family! School Supplies, games, haircuts, door prizes for teens…FREE

Wanchese Assembly of God

Sunday, August 21, 4-7 pm

 

The Outer Banks Hospital is pleased to announce that Interfaith Community Outreach is a recipient of the 2022-2023 Community Benefit Grants Program

 

Right to left: Jenniffer Schwartzenberg, The Outer Banks Hospital, Jenniffer Albanese, ICO Director, Lyndsey Hornock, Program Assistant, Community Outreach and Marketing at The Outer Banks Hospital

 

The Outer Banks Hospital is pleased to announce that Interfaith Community Outreach is a recipient of the 2022-2023 Community Benefit Grants Program. Grants are awarded for projects that will significantly increase access to healthcare and financial resources in our community. Interfaith Community Outreach plans to use the funds to provide medical assistance, cancer outreach and crisis intervention for community members in need.

Linda Palombo

Interfaith Community Outreach’s Outgoing Board Chair Linda Palombo was awarded the North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Award. This award recognizes those dedicated individuals who have made a significant contribution to their community through volunteer service. Linda’s energy and passion assisted neighbors in need with everyday challenges and times of hardship following crisis events. This community is enriched by devoted volunteers and ICO is thankful to have had Linda’s leadership. Congratulations Linda!

Interfaith Community Outreach. Interfaith Community Outreach “Provides Assistance to Individuals and families facing a Temporary Emergency Crisis.” ICO will bridge the gap in our community for those in need. In 2021 ICO was able to assist over one thousand families and give back to our community over $400,000 in monetary outreach. 

RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS

“No one hears the cry of the poor or the sound of a wooden bell”
                                                                                                         Haitian Proverb

RETIRING BOARD MEMBERS

Pictured top row from left to right is Julia Ashcheulova, Mike Pringle & Linda Palombo

At their March 31st Board Meeting, Interfaith Community Outreach honored outgoing Board Chair, Linda Palombo, Vice-Chair, Mike Pringle and Board Member Julia Ashcheulova for their service and dedication to ICO and our Community. During their time on the Board, their leadership guided ICO through storm recovery and pandemic crises, resulting in ICO assisting significant numbers of neighbors in need. Our community is enriched by the talents and generosity of volunteers like Linda, Mike, and Julia. 

Interfaith Community Outreach.  Interfaith Community Outreach “Provides Assistance to Individuals and families facing a Temporary Emergency Crisis”. ICO will bridge the gap in our community for those in need. In 2021 ICO was able to assist over 1000 families and give back to our community over $400,000 in monetary outreach.  ICO’s office is in Kill Devil Hills at 115 Mustian Street.  If you’d like to donate, join their volunteer staff, or refer someone, please call 252-480-0070 or go online to www.interfaithoutreach.com to apply for assistance.

Contact: 

Jenniffer Albanese, Executive Director

Interfaith Community Outreach, Inc.

Yuwon Kim

Yuwon KimMy name is Yuwon Kim, I am a senior at First Flight High School.  I am currently taking an internship class at FFHS, and I choose to do my internship at Interfaith Community Outreach.  I would like to gain work and volunteer experience working with this non-profit.  I plan on attending a university when I graduate and study Art History.  I look forward to learning all I can during this internship. 

Sophie Yacobi

My name is Sophie Yacobi and I’m currently a junior at First Flight High School.  In my free time I enjoy playing soccer and going to the beach with friends.  I’ve just recently started volunteering here at Interfaith.  It feels so good to start my mornings helping others.  Growing up on the Outer Banks I’ve seen the struggles locals go through to keep this island running.  Taking time out of my day to give back to my community cost nothing to me, but may mean the world to someone in need.

Pea Island Preservation Society presented Interfaith Community Outreach, with a check in the amount of $500.00 to help our neighbors
Pea Island Preservation Society presented Interfaith Community Outreach, with a check in the amount of $500.00 to help our neighbors

row from left to right is Coquetta Brooks, PIPSI Secretary and Doug Stover, PIPSI Director…bottom row is Joan Collins, PIPSI Outreach Director and Darrell Collins, PIPSI President

The PIPSI raised funds to help those in need during its annual “Hope for the Holidays”. Hope for the Holidays was a vision in response to the Covid Pandemic and with the desire to help those in need.  The PIPSI decorated the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum for Christmas and started collecting donations for those in need. Each year PIPSI chooses an organization that leads the charge in identifying that need. This year they choose Interfaith Community Outreach.  Interfaith Community Outreach “Provides Assistance to Individuals and families facing a Temporary Emergency Crisis”. ICO will bridge the gap in our community for those in need. In 2021 ICO was able to assist over 1000 families and give back to our community over $400,000 in monetary outreach.  ICO’s office is in Kill Devil Hills at 115 Mustian Street.  If you’d like to donate, join their volunteer staff, or refer someone, please call 252-480-0070 or go online to www.interfaithoutreach.com to apply for assistance.

To learn more about PIPSI, please visit www.peaislandpreservationsociety.com

Contact: 

Jenniffer Albanese, Executive Director

Interfaith Community Outreach, Inc.

Give the Gift of Hope

We are thankful for supporters like you and appreciate how you make caring for your community a priority. Your tax-deductible donation will help ICO continue its mission.

ICO, OBRF & Caring Hands Ministry Repairing Stairs for the Elderly

Interfaith Community Outreach, Outer Banks Relief Foundation and Caring Hands Ministry partnered to complete these new staircases today, both the high stair on the north side and the lower stair on the southside.

John Klamut was the leader on this project. Other Caring Hands teammates for the three-day project were Scott Kessler, John Park, David Kole, Steve Hachtman, Ron Ordas, Bill Mathews, and Jack Meagher.

Klamut reported that the client, her Social Worker, and friend who delivers her food, were incredibly pleased with the significant improvement in safety. “This has been a great project. I discovered that the client and I had each lived in Spain. And…small world fact……Shelby Hines with Caring Hands Ministries built this house in 1967 for the client’s mother! A special thanks to Shelby who stopped by to supervise and took a load of debris in his truck to the dump.”

From its office in Kill Devil Hills, ICO provides direct financial support to residents who are facing a temporary emergency crisis. In 2020 ICO was able to give back to our community over $400,000 in monetary outreach to our neighbors facing temporary financial crises.

If you would like to donate, join their volunteer staff, or refer someone, please call 252-480-0070 or go online to www.interfaithoutreach.com to apply for assistance.