There were plenty of clams shelled out on Saturday afternoon at Nancy’s Snack Bar in Oak Bluffs, and all for a good cause. It was the fifth annual quahaug and oyster shucking contest, and this year the cause was the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, which collected a lot of clams — $1,000 to be exact.

Teddy Karalekas
Not Just an Oyster Lover: Teddy Karalekas. — Peter Simon

“We shucked 300 oysters and 100 littlenecks and we had people handing us hundreds, twenties and fifties,” declared a happy Austin Higgins, who is the organizer of the event. He said in addition to the many people who attended and threw money into the bucket while the shucking was fast and furious, a healthy list of Oak Bluffs businesses donated cold cash to the cause: Biscuits, Sun and Fun Jeep Rentals, the Lampost, the Oak Bluffs General Store, the Corner Store and Island Authentic.

“The Oak Bluffs businesses are very clannish but they really support each other and also the events in town,” Mr. Higgins said.

A check was presented to representatives of the animal shelter at Nancy’s yesterday.

Bill Brissette Patrizia Rinko
Pearls up: Bill Brissette, Patrizia Rinko. — Peter Simon
John Tiernan
The money shot: John Tiernan. — Peter Simon

Mr. Higgins also thanked Dave Gaffey, Joe Moujabber and Doug Abdelnour for offering up the harborfront snack bar as a venue for the contest. “Without them it wouldn’t have happened,” he said.