Thu, 03/15/2018 - 1:48pm

Village Realty is excited to announce the winner of their annual Outer Banks Photo Contest:  Avery Kelly, 11, a Boston, MA  native who currently resides in Carova, NC. Out of nearly 3,000 entries, Avery's submission titled "Picture Perfect Framed in Driftwood on Carova Beach" won the top overall prize:  a week's vacation on the Outer Banks.

Avery is currently in the sixth grade and enrolled at the Water's Edge Village School in historic Corolla Village. Her father, Jeff, describes her as quite the avid photographer since receiving a camera for Christmas last year. She has been taking photographs of beach scenes and nature all over the Outer Banks and aspires to one day become a marine biologist photographer.

When Avery was notified that she won the contest and the weeklong vacation she was ecstatic about her accomplishment but also informed Village Realty that she wanted to do something special with her winnings. "I remember when I called her, she was in the car on the way home from school with friends," says Jeannie Maynard, Senior Social Media Specialist for Village Realty.  "I said 'I need to tell you something.' And she said 'What?' I told her 'You won the Artistic Category in the Village Realty Photo Contest.' She began shrieking with her friends exclaiming that she won. I then said 'Wait, I need to tell you something else.' And she got very quiet and said 'What?' I said 'You won the grand prize of the entire contest.' I could hear her burst into tears. It was the next day when her father, Jeff, called me back and said Avery wished to donate her vacation to a child with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, so that someone who didn't live at the beach could spend time here."

Needless to say, the staff at Village Realty was extremely moved by Avery's generosity and devised another way to award her for her contest win. On a chilly morning in January, a contingent from Village Realty's Marketing Department surprised Avery at her schoolhouse in Corolla and presented her with an enlarged canvas print of her winning photograph. All of the children and teachers at the schoolhouse gathered outside to admire her photograph and celebrate her accomplishment.

Village Realty extends their thanks to Avery and to all the thousands of photo contest entrants. Photographs entered are featured throughout the year on social media, emails, on the Village Realty website, and for other print and online advertising. The 2018 contest will open this spring and offer many opportunities to win!

About Village Realty

Village Realty offers more than 600 vacation rentals from the Carova 4X4 beaches to South Nags Head, NC. See for yourself why they're known for "Exceptional Homes, Extraordinary Service." Home amenities vary. Wi-Fi, keyless entry, and bed/bath linens are standard. Visit VillageRealtyOBX.com for more information.