Thursday, April 4, 2013

Ohana “Family” Day in Seal Beach



Surfriders Celebrate Family & Mother Earth – April 14




Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted material. For permission to reprint or excerpt it and/or link it to another website, contact them at  

The Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter is hosting its annual Ohana “Family” Day celebration Sunday, April 14, 2013, from 9 am – 1 pm, at the Seal Beach Pier. Thousands of people are expected.


SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel love this fun-filled beach day that brings friends and families together to relax and learn about our earth – especially the ocean.


It was the spirit of Ohana – the belief that “we are all connected to each other” – that emboldened the early Polynesian seafarers to make their long, migratory journey in outrigger canoes to the Hawaiian Islands in 200 A.D.


Likening themselves to the shoots of the taro plant, which come from a common bulb (oha), the Polynesians felt that we are all one family (Ohana) and must work together, taking care of each other, and honoring the land that nurtures us all.  


Ohana Day, which falls the week before Earth Day this year, features programs on environmentalism, shoreline ecology, and ways to create “ocean friendly gardens” that don’t pollute the waterways. 


“It’s all about the kids,” said Surfrider HB/SB Chairperson Tony Soriano, emphasizing the importance of getting kids involved in protecting the environment.  




Event Coordinator Val Aipa is planning lots of hands-on activities and demonstrations. Plus there will be raffle prizes from local businesses, music by the Originalities, and more.


Surfrider volunteers and the folks from Science 2 U will be on hand, showing families ways to reduce ocean pollution and protect endangered species 


There will be free surf lessons courtesy of M&M Surf School, a body boarding clinic put on by Alternative Surf, kayaking and paddle boarding, lifeguard try-outs to watch, and a beach cleanup.


The HB/SB Chapter is eager to share information about its many programs: water quality testing, beach cleanups, Rise Above Plastics campaign to get rid of plastic in the ocean, Butts Out program to reduce cigarette litter, and its elementary school education activities.



So, pack a picnic lunch, load up the boards and beach chairs, and head out to Seal Beach!



Mahalo!


Patti and Sunny
 



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2 comments:

  1. Jeffrey F:Sounds fun and interesting. I ride my bicycle down to Seal Beach Pier at least once a week. I will be sure to make it down there to check out the festivities.

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  2. Whoever designed the Ohana Day poster did an excellent job on the graphics! It reminds me of vintage record album covers for surf bands such as The Ventures, The Chantays, or Dick Dale and the Del-Tones!

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