CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The 24th annual Make Promises Happen Surf Camp for our Friends with Disabilities happened in Port Aransas on Saturday.
About 45 people participated and most came from out of state. Everyone who participated had a mental or physical disability.
The event was hosted by the Texas Coastal Bend Surfrider Foundation.
Foundation co-chair Cliff Schlabach said the surf camp is their most attended event, but not everyone believed it could happen at first.
"I was told 20, 24 years ago that this couldn't happen, and we didn't take that for an answer," Schlabach said.
Surfers rode waves in Port Aransas from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday. It is the first of two days for the surf camp.
Texas Coastal Bend Surfrider Foundation donated $1,000 to Make Promises Happen, which brought 30 people from Oklahoma to Port Aransas to participate. Schlabach said 15 more local surfers were there.
"Every single year, whenever these folks show up, they can do it. There is nothing that they can't do with a little help from the volunteers," he said.
Schlabach started the event with his wife in 1998 and said 50-60 volunteers were there to help. Their job was to help direct the surfers as they rode waves into a row of people waiting for them. If anyone fell off, that made sure there was someone there to pick them up.
Chris Kemp surfed and helped find volunteers for the event on social media.
"I went surfing out there, I love it," Kemp said.
All surfers wore a life jacket and Schlabach said they did not go further than waist deep in the water.
Schlabach said he has always been involved with the event, and it makes him happy seeing how much people enjoy it. He said many people there have done it before and look forward to it every year.
"The participants here, they love it," Schlabach said. "They will do it until you will fall over, you're so tired, and they still want to do it some more. So, yeah they're all surfers."
For the 25th anniversary next year, Schlabach said they plan to have a surf competition, trophies, barbecue and a party on the beach.
The event will continue again on Sunday from 3-5 p.m.
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