The newly organized Barnstable
High School Surf Club, threw its first fundraiser last week at the High
School (HS). What had started off less than a year ago with 30 founding members,
has now grown to over 120 members and has the help of outside vendors and
organizations who have teamed up with them!
The Surf Club was created last year by two students at the school, Liz Auger and Ben Erhard. The two of them just wanted to bring students together for a taste of the surf lifestyle, a couple of club outings, and a greater awareness of surfing for any other interested students. The club started rolling after finding the support of others like Mike Smith, one of the HS teachers and an avid year-round surfer. The club has has enabled its members to act on varied interests and goals outside of the realm of school and surfing, such as the possibility of helping other schools and missions, getting involved in environmental organizations, collecting clothes, toy drives, and raising dollars for those in need…and of course since it is a surf club, plenty of surfing, possible competition and surf trips together.
The evening began with a trade show like setting. When the students started to arrive at one of the schools foyers outside the auditorium, they were greeted with a half dozen tables and displays loaded with tons of free decals from top Surf Industry vendors. Hats, T-shirts, rash guards, wallets, posters, tapes and backpacks, covered the tables as the items to be auctioned and raffled off. Freestyle USA, DaKine Hawaii, Smith Sport Optics, Hurley, Billabong and The Pump House Surf Shop were the gang with the gear.
Enhancing the evening was Marc Angelillo, a local Cape Cod
surfer, who called on some of his sponsors for the cause and, his good friend Matt Rivers, who just happens to own The Pump House Surf Shop
in Orleans to sweeten the barrage of loot. Marc also displayed product
information, schedules, and publications from the Eastern Surfing
Association and The Surfrider
Foundation.
The evening also had special meaning, with a
testimonial to "Hippie Jim" Rafferty a dear friend of the Cape
surf community, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this fall while surfing.
Jim’s friendship and generosity will be greatly missed. Over the years Jim
collected toys, clothes, money and would share hope by giving to those in need.
He would do this for the different small villages in mainland Mexico where he
would spend 4 to 5 months a year in the winter. Jim spent his Mexican winters
surfing and giving back to the world.
Irena Sumbera, his long time girlfriend put an incredible slide show together featuring hundreds of pictures collected over the last few years of the people, villages, friends, and of course, the surf in Rio Nexpa, Mexico. Irena, Marc and Matt had all experienced winters together in this very special part of the world together with Jim. The evening continued in the auditorium with a viewing of the movie "Influence" which was filmed and produced by local year-round and well seasoned surfer, Matt Richards from Eastham. Matt was generous to share the footage he had filmed of some of the best local surfers and waves captured on the Cape in the last couple of years, with surf club members.
One of the Vice Principals of the HS, Bob Campbell, was heavily involved with the event and coordinated a BBQ where all of the proceeds from the sale of the hamburgers, hot dogs, cookies and sodas were donated to the cause. The evening ended with the students waiting for their names to be called off as winners for both the silent auction and raffle items. In the end the Barnstable HS Surf Club members raised over $600 for the children and school system of Nexpa, Mexico, which will be delivered this winter by Irena.
What an awesome showing of sprit and generosity from the BHS Surf Club. Everyone involved was a winner that night…it was good to see kids teaming up to make a difference in other people’s lives and throughout the world. We can all do our part to make a difference!
