Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert hosts surf party for local families at Palm Spring Surf Club
Kendall Flynn
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s almost the end of summertime for families as the school year is just around the corner. Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert is hosting an “end of summer splash” at the Palm Springs Surf Club for a charity fundraiser and community event.
While 20 families with Variety will be coming to the park for free to enjoy the waves and water slides, organizers say it’s an important event beyond the amenities.
“It’s so important to feel like you belong and you’re a part of a community,” Nick Rossi, Variety’s senior development director said.
The surf party will welcome Variety families, whom the organizers said are from underserved communities. Families often lack the ability to enjoy spaces like the surf club because of disabilities or income insecurity.
“We have brought them in because maybe they have never thought they could come to a surf club or to a water park,” Rossi said.
One family who got to enjoy the club for the first time was Analysa Santos and her two children. She said Variety has been instrumental in providing services for her families mental health, and getting to spend the day at the surf club is an extra helping hand.
“Variety has a lot of resources because it’s an extra hand,” Santos said. “I believe a lot of people need an extra hand sometimes to be able to maneuver, especially when you got kids.”
The Palm Springs Surf Club said they’re always doing what they can to make the surf club accessible whether it’s with ADA compliant facilities or helping families. With the partnership with Variety, the surf club hopes to give the families visiting for free a relaxing experience.
“We want everyone to enjoy it, you know bring the community together regardless of whatever disability or where you are in life,” James Dunlop, the general manager of surf, said. “They have a lot of stress I’m sure. We can relieve someone of that here and give them a good time and it’s worth it.”
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from organizers and families about the end-of-summer event.