The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Online Surfboard Auction Open! Let the Bidding Begin!

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel Surfers Healing - Holiday Surfboard Auction is now open.  The auction will run through December 31, 2009, with proceeds going to Surfers Healing in order to support children with Autism.  So, tell your friends, family, community. Let the bidding begin!

The Holiday Surfboard Auction is part of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel's Community Footprints program. Community Footprints was created to encourage leadership in volunteerism, fundraising, product donations and mentoring programs at a local level. No project is considered too large or too small. Dedicated Ritz-Carlton Ladies and Gentlemen provide a wide range of support and services to their community, including fund-raising for local charities, reading to the blind, preparing and serving lunches at homeless shelters, donating books to schools and volunteering at food banks. The Ritz-Carlton Community Footprints stresses that the most important resource is not always money, but time.

Surfers Healing was founded by Izzy and Danielle Paskowitz. Their son, Isaiah, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Like many autistic children, he often suffered from sensory overload-- simple sensations could overwhelm him. The ocean was the one place where he seemed to find respite.  A former competitive surfer, Izzy hit upon an idea--with Isaiah on the front of his surfboard, and Izzy steering from the back, the two spent the day surfing together. Surfing had a profound impact on Isaiah. Izzy and Danielle decided they wanted to share this unique therapy with other autistic children. They began to host day camps at the beach where autistic children and their families could be exposed to a completely new experience of surfing.  These Surfers Healing camps are completely FREE to their participants and are made possible through your generous purchases of these items.