We Come From the Water
Story: Keith Malloy | Photography: Jeff Johnson | Artwork: James Johnson | Location: Monti Bay, Yakutat, AK
How surfing connects a new generation of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe to the sea and their heritage.
It’s 8:10 on a rainy Thursday morning, and we’ve got the break all to ourselves. Looking up and down the beach through the fog and drizzle, all we can see for company is driftwood – perfect for an early morning fire. Wetsuits still damp from yesterday’s surf, the kids stay near the blaze as they suit up, but after a minute or two, they work up a healthy sweat. A few of the youngsters require two adults to help get the thick neoprene over their heads. Some of the other little surfers end up in oversized wetsuits, but they’ll be alright. The water isn’t as cold as you might expect for southeast Alaska. During the summer, the current from Japan pushes water temperatures into the mid-60s.
Click here to read the full article.
Pair of San Franciscans use surfing to help young people facing trauma
Produced by Sharon Chin, CBS San Francisco
Two San Francisco natives are sharing their love of surfing to empower young people who are facing trauma in their lives.
The sounds of young people splashing in the ocean make Tim Gras happy.
"To have a moment where you can experience a little joy and feel good, that's something," Gras said.
Gras, along with Eddie Donnellan, lead a surf camp at Bolinas Beach. Donnellan hopes the youth will catch the same wave of healing he felt at age 14 growing up in a broken home.
"Being immersed in the water and surfing was transformative for me at that age," he said. "It brought me a lot of, I think, immediate joy."
For bringing joy and healing to at-risk young people through the MeWater Foundation, this week's CBS News Bay Area Icon Award goes to Eddie Donnellan and Tim Gras.
Ciick here to read the full article.
Bay Area surfing program supports inner-city youth's mental health
Produced by Mark Tamayo KTVU FOX 2
STINSON BEACH, Calif. - A caravan of surf vans arrived at the Stinson Beach parking lot on a quiet morning in August. The excitement, pouring out of the vans, will soon mesh with the Pacific. This camp brings surfing to a level that soars beyond just riding waves. "Children's mental health is what this program is all about," said Donnellan.
The MeWater Foundation believes that the outdoors can heal and empower today’s youth. The group targets kids living in low-income communities. Some of their campers may have experienced trauma and stress and others may just need a change in scenery. While the ocean may only be minutes away, for many, it is their first visit and it reveals a different world. Ciick here to read the full article.
MeWater/Laru Beya Collective transforming lives “Coast to Coast”
Produced by Adam Warmington
In December 2023, MeWater founder Eddie Donnellan attended the ISTO Surf Therapy Conference in Puerto Rico. He met the staff from Larubeya Collective, and the connection was immediate! Soon after, we came up with the idea of doing a "Coast to Coast" exchange between our programs, allowing our youth to experience each other's programs and coastal and urban settings. It was a wonderful experience for all involved, and hopefully just the first of many collaborations between our programs. The talented Adam Warmington and his crew made this short film, highlighting just a taste of how special it was!!!
Fishpeople: Lives Transformed by the Sea
Produced by Patagonia Films
Fishpeople tells the stories of a unique cast of characters who have dedicated their lives to the sea. Featuring Kimi Werner, Eddie Donnellan, Dave Rastovich, Matahi Drollet, Ray Collins and Lynne Cox. Directed by Keith Malloy; Produced by Monika McClure; Editor: Alex Jablonsky
Float
Directed and Photographed - Adam Warmington; Water Cinematography - Sashwa Burrous; Color - Arianna Shining Star; Sound - Will Berridge
Thanks 'Grandma', Davo, Eddie, Timmy, Sashwa, Soskin, Noah, Amber, Benny, Jhaya – AW 2022
The Water Will Rise
A film by Dom Padua
“The Water Will Rise” shows the work of the MeWater Foundation, a nonprofit that takes underprivileged kids to surf around the Bay Area. In Padua’s short, the nonprofit takes members on a special trip to Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, a high-tech wave pool in California’s Central Valley. Padua’s work will be shown before the screening of “Birth of the Endless Summer,” which details the true story behind the original 1966 classic.
“I’m really excited about this because Dom is such a talented young artist and filmmaker,” – Julie Mell, Event Founder Beach Break Film Festival
Catching a Break
Produced by Grace McGlashan, Mac Swergold, Mira Klein, and Sadie Schrauth.
Surf Therapy: MeWater transforms the lives of the underserved youth it serves in San Francisco.
A Pandemic Can’t Stop MeWater
How a nonprofit that takes San Francisco kids surfing expanded its work in 2020. For the MeWater groms, small waves come with big smiles. Click here to read this Patagonia. For the MeWater groms, small waves come with big smiles. Written by Morgan Williamson. Photo: Jeff Johnson, Marin County, California.
