TEDI BEAR How Dancers Help Children in Pitt County

Dancing for a Reason

When people gather every Tuesday night to dance, the goal is simple: music, movement and friendship. Yet the Eastern North Carolina Shag Club has always understood that a club can do more than entertain its own members. As a non-profit dance club founded in 1985, ENCSC looks for ways to share its good fortune with the community around it.

One of the clearest examples is the club's yearly support of the TEDI BEAR foundation in Pitt County. This article explains what the club gives, why it matters and how members and guests can take part in the spirit of generosity.

What ENCSC Gives

Each year, ENCSC contributes to the TEDI BEAR foundation in Pitt County by giving a minimum of $1,000 and numerous teddy bears for needy children. The commitment is steady, and it is part of the club's identity.

The words minimum and numerous are worth noticing. The club sets a firm floor for its giving, so the foundation can count on a dependable gift, and it often goes beyond that with teddy bears that members gather. It is a simple, tangible form of kindness that reaches children directly.

Why Teddy Bears Matter

A teddy bear may seem like a small thing, but to a child facing a difficult time, it can be a great comfort. A soft, friendly companion offers reassurance, something to hold on to and a reminder that someone cares. For children who need extra support, that feeling is priceless.

Giving a bear is also a personal gesture. It says, in a way a child understands, that a stranger took the time to think of them. That is exactly the spirit our members hope to share.

A Non-Profit Club With a Community Heart

ENCSC is a non-profit organization, and giving back is woven into its character. The club exists to enjoy, uphold and perpetuate the traditions of rhythm and blues, beach and shag music, and shag dancing, and it also strives to be a good neighbor.

Because members share the same values, community giving feels natural. People who love to dance are often people who love to be with others, and helping children in the club's home county is a meaningful extension of that warmth.

Why Pitt County

Pitt County is home to Greenville, where the club holds its monthly business meetings, and close to Ayden, where the weekly dance night takes place. It is the club's own community, and the people who dance here live, work and raise families nearby.

Giving locally means members can see how their kindness fits into the world around them. The children who receive the bears are neighbors, and supporting them makes the whole area a little brighter.

How the Giving Happens

The club's contribution is part of its yearly calendar. Members take part in the effort, helping to gather teddy bears and supporting the funds that make the donation possible. Discussions about giving can take place at business meetings, held on the second Tuesday of each month at Parker's Restaurant on Memorial Drive in Greenville at 6:30pm.

Because the club operates on volunteer energy, each member's contribution, large or small, matters. Some bring bears, some help organize, and some simply enjoy the events that support the club's mission.

The Connection Between Fun and Giving

There is a natural link between the club's parties and its generosity. The events on the calendar, including the New Year's Eve party, the Valentine party in February, the Re-Up party in June, the Fall Fling party in October and the Christmas party in December, build the friendships and the community spirit that make giving possible.

A happy club is a generous club. When people feel connected to one another, they are more willing to give to others. The joy of the dance floor becomes the energy behind the good work.

Giving at Christmas and All Year Round

The holiday season is a particularly fitting time to think of children in need, and the club's Christmas party in December is a festive reminder of the season of giving. But the club's commitment is not limited to one month. It is an annual tradition that members carry with them all year.

Each Tuesday night, the club's spirit of kindness is present in small ways. Members look after newcomers, help one another and think about the bigger picture. The yearly gift is one expression of a habit that runs through everything the club does.

How Members Can Take Part

Members can contribute in many ways. You can help gather teddy bears, offer your time to a committee, spread the word among friends or simply attend club events and support the club's activities. ENCSC committees are available for members to actively participate in events.

If you are new, ask at a dance night or business meeting how you can help. Every member's effort adds to the total, and the sense of shared purpose is one of the great rewards of belonging.

How Guests Can Support the Mission

Guests who come to Tuesday dance night at the Doghouse Tavern, 506 Second Street, Ayden, NC, support the club simply by being part of the evening. Doors open at 5pm, and the DJ, music and dancing run from 6pm to 9pm, with admission of five dollars per person.

If you enjoy the evening and wish to do more, consider joining. The membership fee is twenty dollars per year, and members form the foundation of the club's community work.

Teaching the Next Generation of Dancers

Most of our members belong to the 50+ baby boomer era, and the club encourages dancers of all ages. Giving to children is a way of investing in the future, and a reminder that the traditions we enjoy were passed down by people who cared.

When members show generosity, younger dancers notice. The example of a club that gives back teaches kindness in a way words never could.

Part of a Larger Family of Clubs

ENCSC is a member of the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs, an organization of more than one hundred non-profit clubs from Baltimore to Miami. Many of these clubs support causes in their own communities, and ours is proud to do the same.

Belonging to a wide network of generous clubs reinforces the idea that the shag community is about more than dancing. It is about people taking care of one another.

What the Gift Means to Members

Ask members what they feel about the TEDI BEAR gift and you will hear pride. They talk about how good it feels to know that an evening of dancing turns into something lasting. The work gives the club a sense of purpose that goes beyond entertainment.

Members also appreciate the simplicity of the gesture. A bear, a gift and a child who smiles are easy to understand and deeply satisfying. That clarity is part of why the tradition is so beloved.

Generosity as a Club Habit

Generosity grows with practice. A club that gives every year builds a habit that becomes part of its culture. New members notice it right away, and many say it was one of the reasons they chose to join. They see that the people around them care about more than the next song.

The habit also strengthens the club itself. Working toward a shared goal, such as gathering teddy bears for children, brings members closer together and reminds everyone why the club exists. The dance floor is where friendships begin, and giving is one of the ways those friendships show their best side. It is a tradition worth carrying forward for many years to come.

A Gift That Grows Every Year

Because the club gives every year, the impact builds over time. Each season brings new bears, new smiles and new members eager to help. The commitment has become a point of pride that members mention when they describe the club to friends.

Join a Club That Gives

If you would like to be part of a club that dances and gives, we would love to meet you. Come to a Tuesday night, see the friendly atmosphere for yourself and ask any member about the club's community work.

To join, print and complete our membership application and mail it, with the twenty dollar annual fee, to ENCSC, PO Box 44, Greenville, NC 27835. Members receive email reminders about meetings and events, enjoy parties throughout the year and save five dollars on the SOS card.

Frequently Asked Questions