Shorts

Wholesome Family Fun

Everything Polish

Every year St. Stanislaus Church in Castle Hayne holds a Polish Festival a family-friendly fun-filled event that attracts thousands to the church grounds. Festivalgoers enjoy authentic Polish food a craft sale and lots of children’s activities and entertainment including The Chardon Polka Band.

The 2018 festival was not held because of damage and flooding caused by Hurricane Florence.

This year’s festival is scheduled for Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4849 Castle Hayne Road. Admission and parking are free with food and drink available for purchase. Authentic Polish food will include kielbasa pierogi golabki placki ziemniaczane kruschiki kolachki nut rolls poppyseed rolls and strudel (with sugar-free varieties available).

The church was founded in 1907 by three families. Seven years later the growing group obtained 10 acres to build a mission church through a donation of the Hugh MacRae Development Company. St. Stanislaus remained a mission of St. Mary Catholic Church in Wilmington until 1933. — Pat Bradford

Hall of Fame Great

Hope Through Rescue

Luminaries from sports and entertainment will mix with community leaders at the Willie Stargell Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament scheduled from Nov. 8-10 at the Country Club of Landfall.

The 17th annual event held by the Willie Stargell Foundation raises funds to fight kidney disease.About 200 golfers are expected for the tournament. Many more will attend the opening reception auction dinner and dance and awards ceremony.

Willie “Pops” Stargell enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame career with baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates from 1962-1982.The Wilmington resident died in 2001 after years of suffering from a kidney disorder. His widow Margaret Weller-Stargell established the foundation after his death to give hope through research patient care and treatment. The New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s dialysis center was renamed after Stargell in recognition of the foundation’s support.

The tournament and related events are major fundraisers for the foundation. Last year’s event raised $150 000 that was distributed to local hospitals charities and scholarship and patient-need programs including a $50 000 grant from basketball great Michael Jordan awarded to New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation.Other recipients were the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College nursing scholarship programs the UNC Kidney Center and Vidant Health Foundation.

Those needing assistance with medications or travel expenses to and from medical facilities can apply to the foundation for aid. — Edward Wills

Kites Above Kure Beach

Massive Aerial Fun

An aerial display of soaring colorful kites of all shapes sizes and styles will greet hundreds of visitors at this year’s Cape Fear Kite

Festival at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area.Colorful animal-shaped kites including an octopus a whale and a crocodile are some of the sky art expected to be flying high above the strand.

The festival which attracts kite enthusiasts of all ages from babes in their parents’ arms to gray-haired seniors is scheduled for Saturday Nov. 2 and Sunday Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.Food trucks and other vendors will be on site offering various wares.

Started in 2005 to foster kite flying for all ages the festival has grown in popularity each year. Rooms at area hotels are in high demand for the event which has become a regional attraction with people from all over the state and other parts of the South.T-shirt vendors who sold out on the first day last year have promised to order twice as many this year.

Visitors to the kite festival can stroll along the beach while keeping their eyes turned skyward for the sometimes-massive kites — even one featuring a purple spaceship-design complete with a little green man at the controls. — Edward Wills