Edward Greene is a very interesting guy. One of the icons of who and what the Outer Banks has become, he's 93 now, needs a walker to get around but the mind and memories are as sharp as ever.
He's probably best known to most people as the founder of the Christmas Shop and Island Gallery in Manteo. He sold that about five years ago, and since that time he's been interviewed and asked to tell the story of his life.
This Sunday at the Pioneer Theater in Manteo, that life comes to the big screen at 5:00 p.m. in "Christmas Everyday - The Wonderful Life of Eddie Greene."
The documentary, directed by filmmaker Bryan Jones, brings Eddie Greene's journey to life, traveling from New Rochelle, NY where he grew up, to the Navy in WWII and and dancing in a Broadway touring company. Finally landing on the Outer Banks in The Lost Colony, marking the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the area.
It's hard to overstate the impact Edward Greene has had on the Outer Banks.
Although best known for the Christmas Shop, his influence goes far beyond that. By all accounts he has been a powerful and important mentor to many of the young actors who perform in The Lost Colony.
Along with the actor Andy Griffith, who performed din The Lost Colony at the same time the Greene did, he founded the Outer Banks Community Foundation, an umbrella group that donates to local nonprofits. The Community Foundation recently began an emergency fund for victims of Hurricane Dorian. The fund is nearing $1,000,000 in donations, all of it going to help bring life back to normal in effected areas.
He also helped to create the Friends of Jockey's Ridge, a group dedicated to preserving one of the Outer Banks most treasured natural wonders.
That's just a small sampling of what he has meant to the Outer Banks, and the movie is a must see event for those of us who know the man, or anyone wanting to learn about a remarkable life.
the Outer Banks is filled with wonderful people and stories. Stay a while with Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates and find out why life on a sandbar is so wonderful.
