Surfers help kids with disabilities learn to surf

A California-based group travels nationwide to give kids with challenges the gift of surf.

Waves of Impact arrived in Santa Cruz this weekend to get kids out on the water, who may not have otherwise had the chance.

17-year-old, Galen Getz, and his Dad, Skip Getz, are locals.

Getz tells me his son often comes to Pleasure Point to watch the surfers ride into shore.

Saturday, he was able to join them.

The volunteers helped Galen down to the water and onto the surfboard. Once on the water, they helped him stand and ride the wave.

Not only was this a memorable moment for Galen, but for the volunteers that helped to make his dream a reality.

Volunteer with Waves of Impact, Tom Swanecamp, reminisced on the memories made with past kids on the water. “We’ve had experiences where we’ve had kids say their first words. Non-audible, and then after the experience of surfing they’ve come to the coast and said thank you, and it’s moments like that. That’s what we do what we do,” said Swanecamp.

Waves of Impact will continue their tour to beaches across the country through October of this year, and plan to travel to even more in 2019.