D O G OOD Special Surf & Paddle Days for Kids Who Need It Most By Sara Hall Playing on the sand and in the water is typical for a summer beach day in Orange County, but for some kids it’s so much more.
Swanecamp created the camp as a way for the kids to get out of the hospital and into the water for a fun day of play like any other kid during summer.
Surf & Paddle Summer Camp invites children (5-18 years old) with life-threatening illnesses, and their siblings, to join Miracles for Kids to experience a day or two of stress-free summer activities at the beach. Parents can also attend to take part in the fun.
“I started this program with the intent of lifting the spirits of these kids and their families who need a break from hospital rooms and all of the stress that comes with childhood illnesses,” says Swanecamp. “To watch the kids’ eyes light up the second they step on the beach is such an amazing feeling, and I truly look forward to this program all year.”
Miracles for Kids is an Irvine-based nonprofit that helps families with critically-ill children fight bankruptcy, homelessness, hunger and depression — so they can fight for their kids’ lives. The group helps provide monthly financial aid, subsidized housing, food and clothing, and counseling. Going from the boardroom to the surfboard, President and Founder of Irvine-based Redrock Technologies, Inc., and Miracles for Kids board member, Tom Swanecamp, founded the surf program in 2010.
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The annual summer camp allows the kids to play and splash in the water, build sandcastles, and learn surf and stand-up paddle techniques from the experts at Waves of Impact, a volunteer organization based in Irvine. Waves of Impact, in collaboration with Boardriders Foundation, provides free surf camps nationwide in California, Texas, New Jersey and Massachusetts for
Photos courtesy of MJM Photography and Daily Pilot Staff Photographer Don Leach
