Warmer weather is bringing out the barbecue and at “Pig Pickin’ for a Cause,” the funds and fun are for a very good cause.

May 8, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., food, live music, a live auction and more, will raise money for Healthy Outcomes, a program designed for pregnant and parenting teen mothers to keep them in school and on a positive path to success.

“This is a fundraiser to keep this program together for the next year,” said program Director Loretta Ebison. “The whole community is invited.”

Previously funded by Vidant hospitals in both Washington and Belhaven, stakeholders in the program are turning to a different type of fundraising to keep it running and preventing pregnant/parenting teens from dropping out of school. The closure of Vidant-Pungo and other budget cuts have meant only $15,000 of the program’s $50,000 budget has been made available, according Ebison.

Ebison runs Health Outcomes from within Beaufort County Schools. This year, 30 pregnant and parenting teens were part of the program that provides support in the form of tutoring, childcare options, job skills training, as well as provide education to prevent secondary pregnancies. It’s been a proven success in Beaufort County, Ebison said.

“As of this year, we have no repeat pregnancies and none of our girls have dropped this year. And that’s due to the fact we’ve had this program in place and have a support system within the schools,” Ebison said. “We have appreciated the many partners, especially Beaufort County Schools, who have extended a hand to help provide services to these students.”

Keeping the program alive is why she and others are reaching out to the larger community to gain back lost funding with fun event that everyone can enjoy, she said.
Live entertainment Friday will include local favorite Victor Hudson and barbecue and fixings will be supplied by Kayzer Catering. An auctioneer will sell of big-ticket items like beach-house weekends and a silent auction will be held for donations from local businesses.

“Pig Pickin’ for A Cause” will be held at the St. Clair Ranch in Washington, 140 Hodges Road, Washington. Tickets are $25 per person. For more information, call Loretta Ebison at 252-945-3089.