This article was in the top 3 winners of Lookout’s Journalism Scholarship challenge, which invited high school students to highlight an unsung hero in their life. For placing in the top 3 they were awarded a $500 scholarship. Learn more and find all of the winners here.
It takes a village. In the case of Ride a Wave, the village in question is a group of incredible volunteers, local businesses, the city of Santa Cruz and middle to high school students all motivated by the idea and kindness of one man, Danny Cortazzo, my dad. Danny Cortazzo, a longtime Santa Cruz resident, retired lifeguard and firefighter, was in his late 20s when his whole world was turned upside down, literally, when a car in Australia hit him while he was cycling to work as a beach lifeguard. This catastrophic event should have left him paralyzed, if not dead, but miraculously, he survived and made a full recovery. During this long period of rehabilitation, Danny wasn’t able to enjoy the water, which had been a constant in his life. This abrupt change in his lifelong routine of surfing and enjoying the ocean daily made him realize there are so many people who would never get to experience the joy of the ocean. He realized he had to do something.
Danny proposed the idea of creating a nonprofit that gives kids who couldn’t enjoy the beach a one-of-a-kind day filled with ocean- and beach-related activities. That’s when Ride a Wave was founded, in 1995, a one-of-a-kind program that had never existed before. Ride a Wave has inspired many water-loving people to start similar nonprofits like Operation Surf and Best Day, spreading the joy of the ocean. That’s what makes Danny’s vision/idea of Ride a Wave unique; it’s a nonprofit that relies on the stoke of local businesses and community members to keep it running. Ride a Wave is a true nonprofit – all volunteers are unpaid and help out just for the joy of it, including Danny, who dedicates countless hours every year to making sure operations run smoothly and that volunteers and participants are happy.
Locals, old and new, dedicate hours every spring and summer to make this grassroots organization possible. Programs like the Team Riders, a branch of Ride a Wave, show just how dedicated volunteers are. The Team Riders is a group of community-driven teens who make sure that many future generations are able to volunteer. Carson Grant, a local high school student and waterman, said of his involvement with the Team Riders, “being a Team Rider is an incredible opportunity to give back to the Santa Cruz community. I love the satisfaction of watching the participants become comfortable in the ocean. It’s inspiring to see their confidence grow, and to know that we played a part in that.” By bringing continued awareness to the youth in the community about this opportunity to serve and give back, the Team Riders make sure Ride a Wave will continue to be run for many years to come. Ride a Wave is not only driven by young volunteers but also by volunteers who help out every year.
One longtime volunteer, Alisa Weber, said, “I started volunteering at Ride A Wave at the age of 13, now at 37 years old I’m bringing my own young children down to volunteer. Even at the age of 13, I could tell that Ride A Wave was a very special program – mostly due to it being run solely by the gathering of many big-hearted, ocean-loving people like the founder, Danny. After my first day of getting in the water boogie boarding with the participants and experiencing their joy with them, I was hooked. Being able to come back to this community of people every year throughout my life and continue to give back, spread joy and stay connected with the ocean has always kept me grounded and been a great gift in my life.
“Olitas is my family’s business, and they recognized early on the positive impact volunteering at Ride A Wave had on my life,” Weber continued. “They wanted to give back to a program that not only provides great joy to the children participating but that positively affects the youth volunteers in our community. My parents say food is love, so we love being able to provide enough food for all participants and volunteers every Saturday camp free of charge.” Hungry volunteers and happy participants get to enjoy beachside burritos thanks to Weber’s family’s restaurant, Olitas, and their continued support. Other local organizations that support Ride a Wave are Pleasure Pizza, Newman’s Own, the Dream Inn, O’Neill Surf Shop and many more. Without the help of the Santa Cruz community, Ride a Wave and the impactful dream of a hero, Danny Cortazzo, wouldn’t be possible.
Of his impact on the community and others, Danny Cortazzo said, “Ride a Wave has been an incredibly positive and healing experience for me. I am surrounded by friends who find joy in supporting participants and their families as they enjoy the ocean and achieve goals they never thought possible at nearly every event. I’ve had families approach me to share that this was one of the best days of their lives. As a father, that resonates deeply with me — it’s remarkable to think that what we do almost every day can be a highlight for these families. Being part of this experience is a true honor. It takes a diverse group of amazing volunteers, and it continually reinforces my faith in people and what we can accomplish when we come together.”
Danny Cortazzo is humble, hardworking and altruistic. He is a role model not only to my sister and me, but to our community, bringing people together in service of others. I am proud and honored to call him my dad.