THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 1, 1994 TAG: 9406300211
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
More than 600 friends and financial supporters of Back Bay ate barbecue and in a small way helped save the planet last weekend at the ninth annual Flyways Feast Saturday.
The environmentally-concerned ate barbecue dinners, listened to a live band and contributed vital funds to a worthy cause - the Back Bay Restoration Foundation, which works to educate people and preserve and improve the area's habitat.
The Flyways Orchard, site of the fundraiser, is just across the Virginia Beach-North Carolina border in Currituck County.
Under a canopy of ancient oaks and cedars, attendees lounged on lawn chairs or beneath tents and enjoyed themselves while supporting the foundation's work. The wind-ruffled waters of the bay lapped against the shore under sunny skies.
Ann and Andy Vakos listened to the Pungo Ridge Band playing ``Margaritaville'' and talked about their reason for attending.
``We're conscious of the environment and we think this is a great way to put money back into saving wildlife,'' said Ann Vakos.
``We heard about it last year, but this is the first year we've come,'' Andy Vakos said.
The foundation came up with a number of ways to solicit much-needed financial support.
It held a silent auction from noon until 2:30. Bidders placed a dollar figure on a sign-up sheet for each of 31 items. At the end of the silent bidding, Karla Marshall, foundation president, announced the highest bidder and awarded the gifts. The items included paintings, gift certificates, plants, decoys and carvings.
Auctioneer Jimmy Royster was anything but silent. His rapid-fire delivery sold some more merchandise. Several members sold raffle tickets throughout the afternoon.
And the foundation's admission price of $20 per person and $35 per couple boosted coffers, too. Each ticket included a year's membership in the foundation, which has about 1,000 members in southside Hampton Roads.
``We expect to receive about $25,000,'' said Tom Perlic, executive director of the foundation.
The money sponsors a water-quality monitoring program, environmental education for high school students and serves to increase and improve wildlife habitat within the watershed.
Marshall became a member seven years ago, without really planning to.
``My boss got a call and was out at the time, so I took it,'' she said. ``I helped plant submerged aquatic vegetation and became interested in the work.''
Marshall said the goals of the foundation are attainable, though it will take years to reach them.
Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf attended the function and agreed with Marshall.
Members ``roll up their sleeves and go to work. And they're all volunteers. They do extraordinary work, planting hundreds of trees along banks to stabilize them and putting up wood-duck boxes,'' said Oberndorf.
Perlic moved to Hampton Roads three years ago. He brought his environmental activism with him.
``This is an offshoot of the concerns I've developed with the Sierra Club and other regional and national organizations. This fits in with that,'' he said.
The foundation holds monthly meetings eight months of the year on the first Wednesday of each month. Speakers discuss a variety of outdoor topics, such as the fish population and the history of Native Americans in the area, said Marshall and Perlic.
For more information call Perlic at 587-6683. by CNB