Good Vibes, Saving Lives and Surfing all the tides

           We arrived back in Costa Rica wondering what was next for us. Chasing waves and competing last year was fun, but somewhat unfulfilling. We wanted to do more with our time. That's when we ran into our friend Willy Alvarez. What he has done inspired us. He saw a major issue going on and instead of turning a blind eye he used his unique life experience to make a change. To make a difference. To save lives.
          What Willy did for life guarding in Esterillos, Costa Rica inspired us and showed us that we could use our passions to make a difference in the world.  Danielle is going to compete at a variety of events and donate all of the prize money she wins to local charities. Gary is going to auction one of his paintings at each event and donate the proceeds as well.
         Check back next month for the first episode of Sol Stories, a video series documenting our journey to give back and showcasing the efforts of people like Willy who are making a difference in our world.

Facts about Drowning :
      Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury or death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury related deaths (est. 388,000 deaths by drowning in 2004, excluding those due to natural disasters), with 96% of these deaths occurring in low-income and middle-income countries.  In many countries, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children under 12 years old. (source)