SoDel Cares donates $4,000 to Surfers Healing

SoDel Cares, a nonprofit foundation, recently donated $4,000 to Surfers Healing, which holds volunteer-staffed surf camps for more than 4,500 children with autism. Founded in 1969 in Southern California, the organization holds a Surfers Healing Day in Ocean City, Md. Rehoboth Beach-based Quiet Storm is an active participant.

"We appreciate the joy that Surfers Healing brings to the children who both live here and who visit our community," said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, a hospitality company with 10 restaurants on the coast and The Clubhouse at Baywood in Long Neck. Kammerer is the founder of SoDel Cares, which is managed by the Delaware Community Foundation.

"SoDel Concepts is actively engaged in helping children and adults with autism," Kammerer continued. "Surfers Healing fits in nicely with that mission." (Autism Delaware selected SoDel Concepts as the recipient of the 2017 Noelle Perry Smith Employer of the Year Award.)

Many children with autism struggle with sensory overload, and the ocean's buoyancy and rhythm seem to soothe them.

Kris Medford, the general manager of NorthEast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View and an avid surfer, first brought Surfers Healing to the hospitality group's attention.

"I love introducing people to surfing and the freedom that you feel when you're in the water and on the waves," he said. "Not only do Surfers Healing camps benefit children, but they also give families a well-deserved day at the beach."

SoDel Cares will hold its third annual fundraiser Friday, Nov. 17, at Fish On in Lewes. The evening will feature silent and live auctions. A $25 donation is suggested. For information, see SoDel Concepts' event calendar at www.sodelconcepts.com.

For information on Surfers Healing, go to www.surfershealing.org.