City of Newcastle Team wins SurfAid Cup
For a second year in a row, the Newcastle City Council Boardriders have won the SurfAid Cup. Held at Merewether Beach, Newcastle, with 14 corporate teams raising $40,000 for humanitarian organisation SurfAid.
KCE won the SurfAid Cup fundraising trophy. The team of Chris Cashman, Troy Gould, Joe Myson and Paul Van der Velde raised $6,489. The Hunter Business Boardriders have now raised more than $200,000 for SurfAid since they started fundraising with the Surfest corporate breakfast in 2010.
All funds raised contribute to SurfAid’s mother and child programs in remote areas of Indonesia in Nias, Mentawai islands, Sumbawa and Sumba. “The funds raised by the SurfAid Cup in Newcastle, the ongoing support of Surfest, the Hunter Business Boardriders Club and the community of Newcastle saves lives in Indonesia. SurfAid works in places where hardly anyone but surfers go – but where there are high rates of infant and maternal mortality. Days like today show that surfers can make a real difference and give back to the places they love” says Andrew Judge, SurfAid’s CEO. ...read more
Lere rocks!
As I was huffing and puffing up the slope, careful not to drop off the steep wall, and anxiously avoiding the small ditch the community had dug with their simple hoes, sticks and coconut husks, I remembered how surprised I was reading the last sentence in the monthly report of this water project in remote Lere, on the island of Sumbawa, barely a week ago. “The community has already installed 30 metres of pipes in an extremely difficult environment.” I remember thinking, “30 metres? That is not much!”
But that is before I went to the water source, which is eight kilometres from the village. We travelled through picturesque rice fields, an almost dry riverbed filled with rubble and big rocks, then jungle. After scrambling on hands and feet over the steep slopes we finally made it to a small waterfall. ...read more
Why does Lisa Andersen support SurfAid?
"I go to the Mentawai Islands every four to five years and you get to see these most amazing people who live in the villages that need our help. I’ve seen so much progression since the last time I’ve been there. Maybe some day we’ll have surfers coming from the islands and they will be future world champions." - Lisa Andersen
Check out why four-time ASP World Champion Lisa Andersen supports SurfAid.
Please join Lisa and all of our supporters in making this year the best yet. Your gift can save lives. ...read more
Your support is helping to save and improve lives
Your generous support saves lives. We are happy to share with you just one example of the powerful impact of your donations. Nurita is a SurfAid staff member based in Nias who specializes in mother and child health. She asked us to tell you this story:
Ibu Genaria Draha lives in Mazingo Tanoseo, a hamlet of Hiliduho, on the island of Nias. Tragically, she lost her first child, aged one and a half, in March 2012 after two days of suffering from fever, vomiting and breathing problems.
In January last year, Genaria Draha gave birth to her second child, Olianus Telaumbanua, assisted by village midwives. The midwives put her baby on her chest right after she gave birth and they strongly suggested that she exclusively breastfeed until six months, and also go to Posyandu every month to monitor her baby’s growth and wellbeing. Her husband, who had learnt about the benefits of breastfeeding at Posyandu and by attending a film session in his village, also encouraged her. Since then, she has been attending Posyandu. ...read more
Jackson English: SurfAid Humanitarian of the Year 2014
SurfAid has honoured Singapore-based Australian schoolteacher, Jackson English, with its Humanitarian of the Year Award 2014.
SurfAid founder Dr Dave Jenkins presented the award to English at the recent OzForex SurfAid Cup in Sydney, Australia. English competed at the fundraising event with his team, dubbed “The Paddlers”, and they won the surfing section.
Dr Jenkins said that English has been SurfAid’s most prolific individual fundraiser in the 14-year history of the non-profit organisation that focuses on community development in remote areas of Indonesia. ...read more
Corporates raise $140,000 in OzForex SurfAid Cup
Sixteen corporate teams have raised $140,000 in the OzForex SurfAid Cup, and The Paddlers have won the surfing contest in good 3-4 foot surf at South Curl Curl, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
By raising $24,000, Aquabumps won the fundraising trophy and they picked number one seed Owen Wright as their pro to join their tag-team.
Aquabumps team captain, Eugene Tan, said he and his fellow team members Paul Borrud, Tyson Millar and Matt Griggs were stoked to be a part of the OzForex SurfAid Cup.
“It's our big fundraiser for the year so we put a lot into it and we are proud to have raised $24,000 for such a worthy cause,” Tan said. “We want to help the people of the Mentawai Islands, where we all travel each year.”
The Heavyweights - corporate surfers from Citi and Westpac - came second in the fundraising, with $14,000, while Perpetual were third with $12,500. ...read more
Surfing Chefs for SurfAid in Perth raises $55,000+
Former ASP world surfing champion Tom Carroll has excelled in his first venture as a guest chef at the Surfing Chefs for SurfAid cocktail party in Perth’s Cottesloe Beach Hotel.
The fundraiser, in the Beach Club, was a special evening of gourmet food and outlandishly fine liquor prepared by Russell Blaikie (Must Winebar Perth) and his team of award-winning celebrity chefs, who share a common passion for surfing. Attended by 220 people, the evening raised more than $55,000 for SurfAid’s mother and child health programs in Indonesia. ...read more