There’s no such thing as free, everything has a price — or so common thought suggests. But every now and then, something happens that defies that way of thinking.

Last week in Washington, there were a host of events from Monday through Saturday to which only a very select audience was invited. This wasn’t a highbrow crowd — on the contrary, this bunch was openly exuberant, enthusiastic and inclusive in the way only children can be. They were out for dinner, courtesy of Washington Police and Fire Services and retired NFL wide receiver, Washington native Terrance Copper — the first 100 children ate for free.

The first night, 70 children showed up for dinner at Pizza Inn. On Tuesday, Zaxby’s was full, as word began to spread. By Wednesday night, over 200 children received meals at HWY 55, and Thursday, at East Coast Wings, though the event opened at 5 p.m., the first 100 orders had already been taken by 5:15 p.m. On Friday, a community-wide cookout was held at Festival Park, followed by a fiercely competitive basketball game between local law enforcement (with a few ringers) and professional football and basketball players. Again, these events were free.

The culmination of a week of dinners out and entertainment fell on Saturday, when current and former NFL players coached children through basic football drills, followed by a basketball camp hosted by local basketball guru John Lampkins and international pro players Ralph Biggs and Cor-J Cox — both from Washington. After the football camp, Zaxby’s stepped in again to provide lunch for the children.

All of this was free.

So, if there’s no money to be made, what do the organizers get out of it? For one, they get payback in the form of the good will of the community; another, the knowledge that for the nights they were fed, those children did not go to bed hungry. That’s a very real possibility: North Carolina is one of eight states in which the percentage of households considered food insecure is much higher than the rest of the U.S. The national average is 14.6 percent. North Carolina has a rate of 17.3 percent. Some of the children who live in those households are here in Beaufort County and for one, two, or maybe even five nights last week, going to bed hungry wasn’t an option.

For the children of Beaufort County, it was free; for the hosts and sponsors — not so much. The price they paid may be counted in dollars and cents, but they recouped their losses in the radiant smiles of children having the time of their lives, basking in the attention and encouragement of those they view as heroes.

What that represents is not just serving a community. It’s caring for a community.