08/17/2026
On National Nonprofit Day, we’re celebrating the people who have stepped up to protect Jockey’s Ridge—and the people who continue that work today. Join Us!
The story of Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a story of community action.
On August 15, 1973, three young siblings playing on the Ridge were alarmed by the sudden arrival of bulldozers. Their mother, Carolista Fletcher Baum, stood in front of the bulldozers, stopping the destruction and helping spark a community-wide movement to save Jockey’s Ridge.
That movement ultimately led to Jockey’s Ridge becoming a North Carolina State Park in 1975.
The spirit of that community effort continued with the Junior Friends of Jockey’s Ridge in 1987, and in 1990, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge was established to continue supporting the park’s programs and needs.
Today, we are still here because people care.
Friends of Jockey’s Ridge is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support, protect, and promote Jockey’s Ridge State Park as a significant geologic and cultural feature of the Outer Banks—with a vision of ensuring a healthy park for future generations.
We rely on the generosity of people who believe Jockey’s Ridge is worth protecting, preserving, and celebrating.
This National Nonprofit Day, you can help carry that legacy forward:
🧡 Make a one-time donation to support the work of Friends of Jockey’s Ridge: https://friendsofjockeysridge.org/donate/
OR
Become a Friends of Jockey's Ride Member: https://friendsofjockeysridge.org/join/
Thank you for your support for our mission!
