'Best Days' of Surfing Don't Always Need Big Waves

This story was reported and written by Carly Kilroy

Contagious smiles lined the shores of Brick Beach III on Sunday as parents watched their children with special needs catch some waves at the Best Day Foundation's final event of the summer.

"Just to see the kids' faces, coming out of the water ... It feels like an accomplishment," Tammy Cedar said.

This is Cedar's first time participating at the event with her 11-year-old son, Evan. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of about 3.

The Best Day Foundation is a California-based nonprofit organization that “helps kids with special needs build confidence and self-esteem through safe, fun-filled adventure activities,” according to their website.

The foundation expanded to the East Coast six years ago, and on Sunday, more than 80 volunteers helped teach them to catch waves on soft-topped surfboards. The volunteers stayed in the water with the children during the event, and each child was paired with two beach buddies who stayed with them the entire day.

Even though Cedar says her son loves the water and has expressed interest in surfing in the past, his sensitivity to large crowds and loud noises has made it difficult for Cedar to accommodate those interests.

"Typically days are stressful when you have kids on the spectrum, and just being able to enjoy the beach and have your kid do something a typical kid would do without being judged — it's nice," Cedar said.

The Best Day Foundation is entirely volunteer- and sponsor-based. Some of the local sponsors include Surf Taco, Jersey Shore Bagels, Coastline Adventures Surfing School and The Christian Brother Academy. Events have drawn as many as 200 volunteers in the past.

"They are genuinely helpful, nice people," Cedar said.

Volunteer Tricia Henkes, who is now in charge of the events, began volunteering as a beach buddy for the Best Day foundation the first year its New Jersey chapter got started.

"Words can not express the love I have for this organization," Henkes said.

Henkes says watching the kids enjoying themselves out on the water is one of the best parts of working with the foundation.

"When they come in, they are all stressed out, but then you bring them out into the water and they have a huge smile from ear to ear ... It touches you," Henkes said.

Volunteering for Best Day is a Henkes family affair.

Even though her own 11-year-old son does not have any special needs, Henkes says she can't thank Best Day enough for the positive life experiences that working with special needs kids has given him.

“These are lessons in life that I would have never been able to teach my son,” Henkes said.

Henkes says the state of New Jersey and all of the local towns have been completely supportive of the foundation over the years, however, fundraising is still their biggest obstacle.

According to Henkes, it costs the foundation about $200 per child, per event, and each camp is capped off at 40 kids.

They hold six summer events a year in Brick and Long Branch. They also hold two winter sport events in March at Thunder Ridge and Tuxedo Ridge in New York.

In order to help raise money, the Best Day Foundation is holding a fundraiser at the Lakewood Blue Claws game on Aug. 24. Tickets are $10 for anyone who is interested.

If you or anyone you know would like to get involved with Best Day, they can contact Tricia Henkes at Coachflippy@yahoo.com.