In the 25 days that have ticked by so far in September, 1,744 surfers from 23 countries have logged 9,208 sessions and raised $936,496 for SurfAid’s Make A Wave campaign, a fundraiser to provide basic goods and services to communities living near world-class waves.
This year, SurfAid aims to reach the $1 million mark, which would be the nonprofit’s largest result to date since launching the challenge in 2020. As an incentive, with five days of fundraising remaining, SurfAid and Rip Curl are offering donors a chance at a most-expenses-paid boat trip to one of the most wave-blessed places on the planet.
Here’s the deal. Anyone who donates to the campaign before midnight on Saturday, September 27, will be entered to win a free surf trip for two to the Mentawai Islands in 2026 with Perfect Wave Travel. That’s a prize worth $5,227 USD ($8,000 AUD). But the memories made on waves this good? Priceless.
The Ments are where SurfAid began. In 1999, Dr. Dave Jenkins took a surf trip to the fabled islands. He scored waves, but it was the tragic sight of families dying from malaria, malnutrition and inadequate living standards that motivated him to make a difference. Twenty-six years later, the nonprofit is still working to give access to clean water, food and medicine.
“What our surfers and supporters have achieved through Make A Wave this year is extraordinary,” SurfAid CEO Anna Bowden in a news release. “Their commitment means children in remote places in Indonesia will have access to healthcare, clean water, and nutrition.”
“What moves me most is not just the fundraising totals, but the stories behind them,” added Laura Casaceli, SurfAid’s marketing and fundraising director. “Surfers are paddling out in all conditions across the globe and rallying their friends, families and communities to get behind them, it’s incredible.”
Click here to make a difference to Indonesian families and take your shot at the surf trip of a lifetime.
Related: Want to Help Indonesian Families? Just Surf Every Day for the Make a Wave Challenge