The Hunting Island event is back by popular demand

sand-scupture-huntingGet those shovels and pails ready! The Friends of Hunting Island have announced their 3rd Annual Sand Sculpture Contest at Hunting Island State Park. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, July 31st from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Contestants and their cheering sections should gather at the beach in front of the Hunting Island Lighthouse.

Gather your children, friends, co-workers or put a team together. Aspiring sand artists can enter as individuals or teams, and everyone will enjoy an afternoon of creativity and fun, backed by the Heritage Steel Band playing some island tunes.

The categories for the contest are:

 

  • Sand Fleas (up to 8 years old, must have an adult as a leader)
  • Sand Hoppers (ages 9 –15)
  • Sand Tribes (families)
  • Sand Shapers (individual adults or team of adults)
  • Sand Fantasies (families with children age 7 and under, multi-media permitted: dolls, action figures or small accessories)

 

Approved tools for all categories include buckets, shovels, sand scoops, carving tools, putty knives, spray bottles for water, kitchen utensils, scrappers, strainers, rakes, etc. The first four categories may only make use of natural materials found on or near the beach may—no artificial decorations permitted. The Sand Fantasies category is allowed to also use dolls, action figures, or small accessories in their sculptures.

Prizes will be awarded in all categories at an Awards Presentation ceremony, starting at 3:30. Judging will be based on originality, composition, and technique. “We held a sand sculpture contest for the sand-sculpture-hunting275th Anniversary of the South Carolina parks in 2008 and again for the 150th Lighthouse celebrations last year,” said Event Chair and Friends of Hunting Island Board Member Nancy Grimaldi. “The events were so well received; we decided to make this an annual event. We really look forward to a great turnout. This is such a fun event for the whole family, and we’ve been very pleased to see a lot of dads participating with their daughters!”

 

About Friends of Hunting Island

The Friends of Hunting Island (FOHI) organization was founded in 1993, dedicated to helping the park enhance the unique natural wonders and educational opportunities that exist on the island. Friends has a current membership of nearly 800 families and we continue to grow, matching the park’s increasing need for help initiating and maintaining various projects and functions which otherwise might be scaled back due to fiscal restraints in the state of South Carolina. We are a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit organization. We have an annual of budget of approximately $120,000, which includes the management of grants, donations, and fundraisers. Our non-profit Board of Directors meets every other month, and the annual meeting is held in December. To learn more: www.friendsofhuntingisland.org