THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION’S OAHU CHAPTER PRESENTSTHE 9th ANNUAL JOHN KELLY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS PARTY Honolulu, O’ahu(Nov. 7, 2011): On Saturday, December 3rd, the Surfrider Foundation’s O’ahu Chapter will present the 9th Annual John Kelly Environmental Achievement Awards. The celebration will be held at Waimea Valley Pavilion and will feature live music from the Intire Project and a few surprise guests. Tickets are $60 for general admission, $75 at the door and sponsor tables begin at $750. All proceeds will benefit Surfrider’s O’ahu Chapter and their efforts to preserve our coasts. The ceremony is in honor of John Kelly, the legendary waterman and environmental leader who started Save Our Surf and fought to protect Hawai‘i’s coastlines from overdevelopment. Kelly and SOS helped to save 140 surf sites on O’ahu and around the state, while also stopping many destructive developments. Following in his wake, Surfrider’s O’ahu Chapter has worked with other organizations to help preserve Pūpūkea-Paumalu (aka, Save Sunset Beach), Kaka’ako Park and Waimea Valley. The party will feature spirits from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly and a variety of local beers courtesy of Kona Brewing Company. Other sponsors include RevoluSun, Brett & Dee Thomas at Surf 4 Hugs, First Wind, Patagonia, the Kokua Foundation Hawaii, Green Magazine and Nella Media Group. Former Lifetime Achievement Award winner Mark Cunningham will serve as the evening’s emcee. This year’s awardees have done inspiring work to improve their communities and protect our marine environment. Cora Sanchez will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in helping to create the Pūpūkea-Waimea Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). Cora was also a co-founder of Surfrider’s O’ahu Chapter (along with former winner Peter Cole) and the Friends of Shark’s Cove. She has worked tirelessly to help protect the North Shore’s coastlines and “Keep the Country Country!” The Kona Brewing Company will receive the Environmentally Friendly Hawai‘i-Based Company Award for their role in promoting sustainable practices at all their facilities and advocating for coastal preservation. The company helps organize the Kona Brewers Festival, which raises money for educational, environmental and cultural organizations. Along with installing solar and using recycled building materials at their facilities, Kona Brewing Company continues to support local efforts to protect beaches and coastlines across Hawai‘i. Kyle Thiermann will be given the Professional Surfer Award for creating a five-part video series, Surfing for Change, to encourage individuals to change their life habits to help save the environment. Kyle’s video “Where Is Away? Solving Plastic Pollution in 4 Minutes” shows how wasteful and destructive single-use plastics are to the marine environment and encourages people to bring their own reusable bags and bottles. Held each year in honor of John Kelly, the Awards Ceremony honors those individuals and organizations that have followed in his footsteps and continued his legacy of environmental leadership.
Below is a list of previous winners, all of whom are invited to attend the event:
Previous Winners Lifetime Achievement Hawai‘i-Based Company
Professional Surfer2010 Mark Cunningham Honolulu Weekly
Duane DeSoto2009 Yvon Chouinard Bill Braden
The Malloy Brothers2008 Shaun Tomson Styrophobia
Dave Rastovich2007 Randy Rarick Pacific Biodiesel
James Pribram2006 Peter Cole Schnitzer Steel Hawai‘i
Pancho Sullivan2005 Larry McElheny Jack Johnson/Brushfire Records
Rochelle Ballard2004 George Downing Oceanit
Kelly Slater2003 John Kelly Patagonia-Haleiwa
Rob Machado Tickets can be purchased online at the O’ahu Chapter’s website: www.Surfrider.org/oahu. Sponsor tables can be reserved online as well. For more information on the event and on sponsoring a table please contact Amanda Corby at amanda@undermyumbrella.com. The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. Originally founded in 1984 by a group of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation is now in its 27th year and has grown to more than 80 chapters and 250,000 supporters, activists and members. The O’ahu Chapter focuses on the issues of beach access, water quality, coastal preservation and plastic marine debris. For more information about Surfrider and the John Kelly Awards, please visit www.surfrider.org/oahu. ###
Cora Sanchez - corasanchez@hawaii.rr.com
