Surf Dreams Foundation celebrates Take-A-Kid Surfing Day in Surfside Beach

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Surf Dreams Foundation held its first “Take-A-Kid Surfing Day” event of the season on Sunday with kids of all ages getting free lessons before they took to the water.

Executive Director Phil Jackson said organizers love holding this event every year and enjoy seeing kids learn how to surf.

“We have 100 kids that come out and get to surf for free, and we make an afternoon of it,” Jackson said. “It’s just really fun to see the look on their face the first time they catch their waves, and we have a lot who come back, so it’s our way of giving back, and it’s our flagship event for the year.”

The foundation holds events in other areas, too.

“We have them in Oak Island, and there’s also a South Brunswick High School Surf Dreams Club up there, and they put on their own Take-A-Kid Surfing Day as well, and we try to do some other things across a couple [of] different states,” Jackson said.

Many parents watched their kids surf, and some even helped out. While the waves weren’t very big, they were perfect for beginners.

The foundation doesn’t just focus on surfing, it also teaches kids life lessons.

“Just love surfing, and I love giving back and love putting kids in the water,” Jackson said. “If you can find something that you love to do and you’re able to do it, then why not, let’s do it on a bigger scale? So that’s where the Surf Dreams Foundation came about. We do more than just take kids surfing. We take kids on surf trips. We teach them life skills, and we just try to teach them how to be good humans and share their love and passion for the ocean.”

The next Take-A-Kid-Surfing Day will be June 9 in Surfside Beach.

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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