Thank You Thursday: June 2015
June 24, 2015 — We love celebrating Nick Gabaldón Day each May, recognizing the first documented surfer of African-American and Mexican descent, and showcasing the heritage of the historical African-American beach site in Santa Monica, formerly referred to as the “Inkwell.” Gabaldón’s legacy and his passion for the ocean has inspired many surfers of color and continues to inspire us. We are so thankful for the support of the following groups and individuals who make this day possible:
- Black Surfers Collective for their vision;
- Surf Bus Foundation for their amazing instructors;
- Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl for her sponsorship of the day;
- Whole Foods Venice for donating a mountain of fruit, chips and water;
- Sorrento Italian Market for 100 awesome sandwiches;
- Alison Rose Jefferson and the Santa Monica Conservancy for the history lessons
And mostly, three cheers to all the brave youth from Alliance Neuwirth Leadership Academy and Concerned Black Men International who took the plunge and surfed their hearts out!
Coastal Cleanup Day – scheduled for Sept. 19th this year – will be here before we know it; thank you, REI for already contributing to help us make the biggest volunteer day on the planet a success.
