Southport Magazine

Fundraiser at St. James Community Center

By Lisa Stites

It seems like everyone is or knows a foodie these days, and a school fundraising event coming up this month is the perfect place to dazzle those foodie tastebuds. You can graze your way through tastings from about 20 of the area’s favorite restaurants and bakeries and help support a local school at the same time. 

Southport Christian School’s annual Taste of Southport/Oak Island is scheduled for Friday, March 15, at 6 p.m. at the St. James Community Center, 4136 Southport-Supply Road SE. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Call 910-457-5060 for ticket information.

Lisa Kjome, the school’s principal, said typically 250 people attend the Taste of Southport/Oak Island. The school’s students and their parents help serve up the tasty treats and generally run the evening. 

“Our parents chair and run the entire event, collecting auction donations and restaurant and bakery donations for the tastes,” Kjome said. “There are over 40 volunteers that work the event that evening.”  

The annual event is the school’s major fundraiser, and money raised helps fund the operating budget and cover annual technology equipment and upgrades. This year, the fundraiser is aimed at helping to fund a new campus security project. The evening will also include a silent auction and a live auction featuring items such as artwork, furniture, vacation getaways and spa services.

“It is a vital source of revenue to enrich and enhance the education of our 150 students on campus,” Kjome said. 

Southport Christian School first opened in 1996 with 27 students and now serves 150 students from preschool through high school.