Volunteers are plenty in Beaufort County. We see them serving food at fundraisers and organizing events at churches. Some lend their backs — and their chainsaws — in the aftermath of natural disasters and others quietly go about their tasks on a day-to-day basis.

Volunteers are the backbone of an economically struggling community, but every now and then, a volunteer’s effort makes an impression. This week, that impression was made on Jackie Woolard, executive director of Partnership for the Sounds, and Tom Stroud, deputy director. Next week, it will be made on Beaufort County Commissioners, as the letters from more than 100 county residents, citing the many reasons why the commissioners should fully fund a budget request for the North Carolina Estuarium, make an appearance at the commissioners’ next budget work session on May 29.

The idea started with two Estuarium volunteers with a desire to see the county step in financially where the state dropped out in funding last year.

Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly voted to cut the Partnership for the Sounds — the Estuarium’s parent organization — by $391,000. While a separate $58,000 appropriation was made for the Estuarium, the center lost approximately $150,000 of its $300,000 budget, leaving administrators with the task of making up the difference. And this is where Carlson and Reiner have stepped in, Woolard said, with an eight-point letter distributed to the residents of Cypress Landing, a letter they delivered to each residence and collected for delivery to the commissioners.

“The Estuarium is the focal point of downtown Washington … it is an economic catalyst for the entire area through its operation and visitation … it identifies Beaufort County as the gateway to the Inner Banks … it welcomes visitors from across the state, country and world … it provides one-of-a-kind educational experience for school children,” the letter reads.

Indeed, the North Carolina Estuarium is the first of its kind: a waterfront environmental center boasting over 200 exhibits about estuaries and coastal rivers. Interactive displays, artifacts and special programming on natural and cultural heritage make it a huge draw for visitors and residents alike. Since its opening in 1998, nearly 250,000 visitors have walked through its doors, including someone from every North Carolina county, every U.S. state, and every populated continent, according to Stroud.

Beaufort County Manager Randell Woodruff recommended $35,000 be allotted to the Estuarium in his budget proposal given to county commissioners earlier this month — half of the $70,000 Woolard requested. Woodruff said the difference is based solely on the amount of money available, that he considers the Estuarium vital to tourism and economic development.

“The reasoning for the change — we’ve just had so many things in the budget that we couldn’t afford to do everything we need to do. I just had to make that judgment call. We did what we could do,” Woodruff said. “I know they’ve lost a lot of state funding in the past couple of years. It would be bad for our community if that organization was to go down. … When we (the commissioners) did talk about it the other night, my comments were, ‘Maybe this is not a permanent funding arrangement, but the goal is something to help them out for the next couple of years.’”

Woolard said that regardless of how much funding comes across from the commissioners, the grassroots letter-writing campaign has been a positive and uplifting experience in the face of this fiscal year’s budget struggles. The addition of handwritten notes at the bottom of many of the form letters really shows the support of the Cypress Landing residents, a community known to show off the Estuarium to out of town visitors, Woolard said.

“Tom and I have been just overwhelmed with Pat and Toni’s enthusiasm for the project,” Woolard said. “We’ve just been so encouraged by so many positive comments from the residents of Cypress Landing. The overwhelming good will and positive feedback has been worth it.”

Woodruff said the letters will be delivered to commissioners next week before the last of the budget workshops. A public hearing regarding the county budget will be held on June 2.