Surf for All turns foster kids into brand new surfers

Long Beach is synonymous with surfing. People running into the water, jumping on their surfboards and riding the waves in the sun is a typical summer across the city.

Surf for All, one of Long Beach’s most popular programs for developmentally challenged teenagers, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals and exposing them to the ocean. They believe the ocean is a source of healing and spiritual strength that should be accessible to all, even if they never thought surfing was possible.

The organization taught a different kind of teen group earlier this month, though — those who live in the foster care system. Children and teens living in foster care got the opportunity to ride some waves, most it not all of them for the first time, have pizza and enjoy a unique day out. They surfed for about two hours.

They connected with another group, The Felix Organization, which offers camps and events and helps children in foster care. The group was co-founded by Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC, who found out he was adopted as an adult. McDaniels and the group has been active in Long Beach before, when he came and performed with a local children’s band, Deez Guyzz, in January.

“My son’s bands and my daughter, raised money for them to come to a surf outing,” said Jeanine Sorenson, who volunteers with Surf for All and whose 15-year-old son, Lars, plays drums for Deez Guyzz. “They had the idea, they raised money and the band supported it and donated money that they made to make this happen.” Other band members include Paul Vivot, Bridie Bermingham Quinn Siegel and Alerjandro Coronado.

Sorenson’s daughter, Fiona, 10, and her friend Brooke Varian, also 10, made and spent the last few months raising money as well. They wanted to help out after seeing how happy some of the kids were when Surf for All and The Felix Organization collaborated for another event earlier this year, in February. They brought in some of the kids and they introduced them to wave pools at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where they began learning to surf in an enclosed environment rather than open water.

“We found it so inspiring,” Varian said of the wave pool day. “They were so excited and because they didn’t have their parents to take them on these experiences, we showed them stuff.”

Fiona said they reached out shortly after to Amanda Simonetta, executive director of The Felix Organization. They had a Zoom call, and they asked if they would be able to make bracelets with the groups names on them and sell them. She said yes, but they think they surprised her with their quickness and passion. “I don’t really think she took it seriously that we’d get this done so fast. I think she thought it would maybe be next year.”

The girls learned to make the bracelets and started putting up flyers around Long Beach at multiple restaurants and ice cream shops. They got some help from some other kids, too — a group of Valley Stream Central High School seniors.

Madelyn Clarke, Victoria Salisan and Sammy Mian, all 19, heard about the fundraiser and the event and wanted to help. One of their teachers is Alisha Varian, the mother of Brooke, one of the young girls selling bracelets. The three of them sold T-shirts in school the last few months before graduating.

Combined, the bracelets and the T-shirts raised just under $4,000 for the event, allowing the foster children to enjoy the day with everything they wanted to supply — surfing, pizza, refreshments and cupcakes.

“This is really cool, to help these foster kids go surfing because they don’t always get these opportunities,” Clarke said. “It makes you proud connecting with the kids and seeing the looks on their faces.”

Have an opinion on this article? Send an email to jlasso@liherald.com.