Forty-five Santa Barbara kids had an unforgettable day at the Leadbetter Beach June 4. Hosted by Best Day Foundation, the children with special needs got a chance to learn to surf and enjoy watersports that they might otherwise never get to play. The event provided specially certified instructors and staff, as well as all the necessary equipment.
Brooks Lambert, a passionate surfer and Santa Cruz local, founded Best Days in 2008 after working with a similar organization, Ride a Wave. The nonprofit spreads from Santa Cruz to San Diego, with chapters throughout the East Coast as well.
Lambert wanted a foundation that was for everyone. He stated that instead of focusing on a single disability, as many other organizations do, at Best Day, “you're people first” and the disability comes second. Lambert organized teams that together are able to work with whatever the kids are experiencing and get them in the water to have fun.