WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH — During last night’s annual flotilla celebrations at Wrightsville Beach, one theme stood out among boat captains and spectators alike: the night, after months of hurricane recovery, was a chance for the people of the Wilmington area to return to normalcy.
Hundreds of people gathered along the Wrightsville Beach Bridge and in boats along the Intracoastal Waterway to cheer passing boats, some blaring Christmas songs like “Holly Jolly Christmas” across the water.
For captain Allan Murray of the 2017 winning boat, it was an opportunity to dedicate the flotilla “to the linemen and everyone who came and helped us, people from all over.”
Large lit-up letters spelling “FEMA,” “Duke Energy,” and a Red Cross symbol adorned the bow of the boat, along with a large inflated Santa Claus.
“We live on the coast, and after getting hit by the hurricane and seeing all the people come together to get everything back up and running — it was just amazing to see people help each other,” Murray said.
View a photo gallery of the 34th annual North Carolina Holiday Flotilla here:
Mark Darrough can be reached at [email protected]
