Cupid's Ball set for Saturday

After an exhausting year of helping those in need, Operation Onslow is ready to host its first Cupid’s Ball on Saturday.

Saturday’s event, to be held from 6 p.m. to midnight, offers food, music, drinks, a silent auction and a raffle. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

More than 50 items including sports memorabilia and car parts have been donated for the event’s silent auction. Local group, The Four Knights Band, will perform beach music.

The fundraiser is a first of its kind for the fledgling organization, but hopefully it will become an annual Onslow County tradition, said Alva Williams, former Jacksonville city councilwoman and co-chairwoman of Operation Onslow.

“This is Onslow County, we take care of our own,” Williams said, adding that every dime raised by the event will remain in Onslow County to help local residents in need.

Williams said the organization — which was born when local residents came together to raise money for those left with nothing in the aftermath of the April 16 tornado that destroyed hundreds of homes in Onslow County — is poised to take off.

The local organization caught national attention last year when it raised $22,000 in one day for tornado victims. The barbecue fundraiser was filmed and has aired on an episode of Discovery Channel’s hit reality show “Swamp Loggers.” The organization has also been nominated as a Weather Channel Hero for its efforts to help victims of the April tornado.

From there the organization grew to help those impacted by Hurricane Irene. But Operation Onslow isn’t just about the big disasters. The group has helped in several unrelated instances including helping a family who lost everything they owned in an apartment fire.

Right now the organization falls under the tax-exempt umbrella of the New River Foundation, but steps are in place for Operation Onslow to receive its own 501C status, Williams said.

For tickets to the Cupid’s Ball, more information or to make a donation, contact Williams at 910-347-2315 or Shirlene Kellum at 910-330-6429.

Contact Daily News Senior Reporter Lindell Kay at 910-219-8456 or lkay@freedomenc.com. Read his crime blog, "Off the Cuff," at http://onslowcrime.encblogs.com. Follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook @ 1lindell.

Congratulations to Amanda Christine Greene and Sandy Hurst who each won a pair of tickets to the Cupid’s Ball in a raffle for Daily News’ Facebook fans and Twitter followers. For future giveaways and for the latest in local news, like us at facebook.com/JacksonvilleDailyNews or follow us at Twitter.com/JDNews.