Origin Story

Origin

On a foggy morning in July, 2008, 80 kids loaded up on ten boats in the Santa Barbara Harbor. The boats slowly motored their way up the coast waiting for the sun to break through. The flotilla congregated off of Campus Point in Goleta, California at 10 AM with excitement and mild trepidation of what lay in the day ahead. 

The kids entered the water on a variety of watercraft, including prone paddleboards, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and long surfboards. The group gathered around the lead boat and began their 10 mile journey through the fog back to the Santa Barbara Harbor. 

These kids were unknowingly at the origin of a long tradition. A tradition of “kids helping kids”.  The impetus of The Keiki Paddle. 

Impact

The ocean impacts people’s lives in many positive ways and since 2008, it has been the medium by which The Keiki Paddle organizes and fundraises to help those in need. “Keiki” is the ancient Hawaiian word for child and so the “Children’s Paddle” has come to symbolize a right of passage for the youth in the Santa Barbara aquatics community. It has been a way for kids to support one of their own through a day’s long adventure that is both physically and mentally daunting in a fun and supportive environment. 

Each year, one local child in the Santa Barbara community is chosen as the honoree who we paddle for. This honoree is one who has been handed a difficult card in life as they have a life threatening diagnosis. 

The Keiki Paddle serves as a reflection of their journey and it is a way for +100 of their peers to have a metaphoric window into the honoree’s life and provide them with the opportunity to take part in something deeper and more powerful than the typical day-to-day. 

Each paddler commits to themselves and their community to fundraise for the honoree. Some paddlers raise hundreds of dollars, some raise thousands. All the proceeds are given to the Honoree with no strings attached and all the event organization is 100% volunteer based.

Vision

When the sun finally broke through the fog on that July morning in 2008, the paddlers and their support boats had neared their destination. On the beach at Leadbetter, were hundreds of proud parents, family, friends and supporters. With the confidence granted to a kid who had made 80 new friends, the honoree eagerly led the group from the water onto the beach. This was their day and they would carry this love and support with them forever, whether or not the sun was shining.