<b>Photo by BOB SOFALY</b>

Beaufort Charities managed to avoid the rainy weather that had besieged Beaufort for a week and pulled off a miracle for their 16th annual Beaufort Charities’ Oyster Roast on Saturday, March 7 at Live Oak Park in Port Royal with lots of sunshine and mild temperatures.

It was estimated that around 5,000 people participated in this year’s fundraiser, up about 2,000 over last year’s numbers.

One man, sitting by a big bonfire and sharing a plate of oysters with his wife asked, “Where else can ya sit under the shade of an oak tree on a sunny day and eat fresh oysters beside a fire?”