Hanging Up the Sneakers to Hang 10
Unique Event Introduces St. Vincent’s Youngsters to World of Surfing

   SAN DIEGO — St. Vincent de Paul Village children will learn to surf at the 15th annual "Day at the Beach," an event organized by Windansea Surf Club taking place on Saturday, August 25, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at La Jolla Shores. Surfing will take place at the north end of the beach. The hours of greatest visual impact will be between 1 and 3 p.m.

   For many of the 70 children who will wax up their boards for the first time, the beach trip will not only introduce a new sport, but also the opportunity to enjoy a day with friends, family, food and fun, says St. Vincent’s Children’s Services Program Manager Erin Milligan. More importantly, she says, the event teaches valuable lessons on trust and self-respect.

   "This is one of the biggest events on our summer camp schedule," Milligan says. "The kids look forward to it for weeks and talk about it for a month afterward. It really has a positive effect on our youngsters and gives them the opportunity to focus on something other than their current living situation."

   Windansea spokesman Scot Cherry says each year he and the more than 100 event volunteers witness the change which takes place from the time the children exit the bus at the beach to when they board it at day’s end.

   "The kids open up like flowers," he says. "By the last hour, every kid is surfing," an accomplishment, Cherry says, which gives the children confidence in other areas of their lives.

   The event is also an opportunity for the surfing community to disprove some common stereotypes.

   "We aren’t like Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times," Cherry says. "We hope our participation and the joy we get out of the event will encourage other surf clubs to duplicate our efforts. The kids are worth it."

   For more information on Windansea Surf Club, please call (858) 551-9283. For more information on the event or other Village programs and services, call (619) 525-1608.

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