The Ocracoke community gathered Sunday night for a holiday dinner and spectacular at the Berkley Barn. The event was a collaboration between the annual Community Christmas Concert, the annual Ocracoke School Holiday Concert, the Ocracoke School PTA, and the OcracokeStrong Kitchen.

In normal years, the school and community shows are two different events in different locales. But without a school gym this year, it looked like the teachers and students wouldn't be able to perform for us, which would be a great disappointment to parents and grandparents. Meanwhile, for the past 13 years, I've been organizing the community concert at the Community Center, which includes local performers of all ages (and sometimes musician friends from off the island.) This year, we combined forces and created one big extravaganza!

I wrote this parody of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" for the 3rd grade class to read, followed by Pre-K-1st grade singing "Welcome Christmas," better known as the song the Whos down in Whoville sing to celebrate the holiday -- with or without all the trappings of trees, tinsel, toys or "packages, boxes, and bags." I love that song, and can't think of a better year for us to sing it – a year when Ocracoke's Christmas is so different from years past.

3rd grade

I had the opportunity to practice with the 3rd graders and they were all appreciative of the sentiment. The kids are all too aware of what Dorian has taken away – and also what Dorian has brought us.

Dinner!

I kept adding stanzas to include thanks to many organizations as events happened on the island, but I had to stop somewhere. So, here's a word of thanks to those that didn't get a mention: the Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children, Adopt-a-Family, SafeKids and the Sheriff's Department, Blue Pelican Gallery knitters, and the Buddy Pelletier Surfing Foundation among many, many more individuals and organizations that have contributed to Ocracoke's recovery. Thank you all for bringing us a Christmas that Dorian couldn't destroy.

When Dorian Tried to Steal Christmas

December 2019

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot.

And we all know the story of the Grinch who did not.

The Grinch tried to steal Christmas and found out that he couldn’t.

He hated the singing and discoverd he shouldn’t.

The Whos knew that Christmas doesn't come from a store.

The Whos knew that Christmas means a little bit more!

They stood close together, with Christmas bells ringing.

They stood hand-in-hand, and those Whos started singing!

And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say

That the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!

Raul and Adrian

The Grinch learned to love Christmas when his heart grew

And he joined in the singing with each little Who.

But our story is about Ocracoke’s Christmas this year

When Dorian the hurricane tried to steal all the cheer

He came in with a whoosh on the 6thof September

And made a big mess that would last through December

He brought water and mud into our town

And left everything wet, stinky, and drowned.

We stood in our messes and started to toss

Our toys and our furniture, we each had a loss

And we piled our stuff on the side of the road

And we watched it get added to the giant truck load

All the classrooms were flooded at Ocracoke School

The Dolphins and teachers had to learn to make do

2nd grade

After a month of vacation, they were ready to PLAY

And also to LEARN on that Back-to-School day

And then Christmas was coming, and it worried us so

How could we celebrate without money or homes?

Dorian took treasured Christmas decorations

Favorite memories passed down for generations

Would this be a blue Christmas for Ocracoke isle?

Would we boo-hoo with no reason to smile?

But our off-island friends knew just what we needed

They collected and fundraised and baked and proceeded

To bring Christmas to us, with presents and cheer

For all young and old, from friends far and near

The Hatteras kids brought the Giving Tree

With ornaments, nutcrackers, stockings – all free!

They got help from friends in Little Washinton

>Who helped deck the halls for our Christmas fun

2nd grade plus Santa!

Toys for Tots at the church helped the parents with gifts

And making kids happy gives their spirits a lift

Island Santa delivered right to the school

Picking up Wish Lists of everything cool

And Barbara Hardy, who used to live with us here

Raised $50,000 for our Christmas cheer!

So many people who gave, to be grateful to

>And Thank you notes to write all winter through

Ocracoke was inspired to celebrate the season

It turns out that Dorian wasn’t a reason

To stop Christmas from coming, we welcomed it here

The boat parade lit up the harbor with cheer

The Pony Island Motel made us Ocracoke Strong

The Methodist ladies gave us dinner and songs

The cookie swap was delicious, and Santa was jolly

Raul rode through town on a sleigh decked with holly

At OPS, we drank wassail and lit our big Christmas Tree

While the Kindergarteners sang and had some cookies

And Karen and Dave didn’t need floors and walls

To light up their gingerbread house for us all

And today we will sing, and we’ll sing, sing, sing SING!

Just like the Whos, we raise our voice to ring

Santa and Rudolph (Duncan and Essie)

Out the sound, not the boo-hoo that’s sad.This singing we do, this sound sounds so glad!

Every Dolphin down in Ocracoke, the tall and the small,

Is singing without any worry at all!

Dorian hadn't stopped Christmas from coming! It came!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

Welcome Christmas. Bring your cheer,

Cheer to all Dolphins, far and near.

Christmas Day is in our grasp

So long as we have hands to clasp.

Christmas Day will always be

Just as long as we have we.

Welcome Christmas while we stand

Heart to heart and hand in hand.

Fahoo forays, dahoo dorays

Welcome Christmas! Come this way

Fahoo forays, dahoo dorays

Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day Mariah and Katie



Welcome, welcome, fahoo ramus

Welcome, welcome, dahoo damus

Christmas Day is in our grasp

So long as we have hands to clasp

Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas, Bring your cheer

Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome all Who's, Far and near 4th grade

Welcome Christmas, fah who rah-moose

Welcome Christmas, dah who dah-moose

Christmas day will always be

Just so long as we have we

Fah who for-aze, Dah who dor-aze

Welcome Christmas, Bring your light

Fah who for-aze, Dah who dor-aze

Welcome Christmas, Christmas Night

Welcome Christmas, Fah who rah-moose!

Welcome Christmas, Dah who dah-moose!

Welcome Christmas, While we stand

Heart to heart And hand in hand

Fah who for-aze Dah who dor-aze

Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day!!

3rd grade

Kindergarten, plus pre-K and 1st

Kindergarten, plus pre-K and 1st

Jenni Starr

Lou and Sundae

5th grade

5th grade

Katy and Gary

Emilia and Maren

Hannah and Ivey

Stephanie, Hannah, and Ivey

Essie, Dallas, and Lou

Jingle Bell Rock

Rahnier with Iris, Mariah, Elsie, and Katie

Corey and Lou

Ivey and Roger

The festive Berkley Barn

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Special thanks to these people who helped make the night happen: Ocracoke School PTA, Laura McClain, Leslie Cole, Nicholas Cloe, Alice Burruss, Jennifer Daniels, Jessica Fawcett, Claudia Lewis, Karen Teklinsky, Oscar Cuellar, Jason Wells and the Ocracoke Strong Kitchen crew, Meredith Rollman, Marci and Charlie Mason, Robert Chestnut, Ocracoke High School Beta Club, Michael Shoemaker, Jim McClain, Rob Temple, Allison O'Neal, Gael Hawkins and Village Thrift, Erin Baker, Gary Mitchell, Ocracoke Alive, Phoebe Kot and the Berkley Barn, Solomon Vergara, Mary McKnight, Ivey and the Lifesaving Church, the very flexible teachers and staff at Ocracoke School, the middle school student volunteers (Finn, Nicholas, Uriel, Gavin, Shayna, Caroline, Christian, Rahnier, Mariah), Jason's helpers (Christian, Iris, and Katie), all the bakers and bringers of sweet treats, our amazing performers, our great audience, and an extra special thanks to Lou Castro, who set up for the kids' rehearsal on Friday and accompanied so many performers at the last minute, making everyone sound good.

Merry Christmas to one and all!