The Will Smith Foundation

On June 3, 2007 the world lost a special soul:  Will Smith, an eight year old boy from South Texas.

How was Will connected to Maui Surfer Girls, one might ask?  I was the unfortunate witness to the horrendous head-on collision that took poor Will's life.  If it had happened 15 minutes earlier, the collision might've taken my life too, as I was unloading surfboards for my lesson at Ukumehame Beach Park only feet from the collision.

Just recently I was teaching down there - actually the first time at Ukumehame Beach Park in three months due to bad weather.  I walked over to Will's road-side memorial to meet a beautiful woman hanging lei's on his cross.  I told her that I was a witness to the collision and with tears in her eyes, she told me that she was in that crash -- Will was her son.  My heart broke and I gave her a big hug. 

After our fateful meeting, I told her that I'd host a surf day for Will around the year anniversary of his death - to honor and celebrate Will's life at the Park.  A few days later Susan, Will's mom, took a surf  lesson from me at the Park.  And in the many months of lessons, I have never taught in such spectacular conditions:  whales were breaching, there were beautiful uncrowded waves peeling in, and the wind was so still that the windmills weren't turning.  I could not believe it!  Susan said that Will was orchestrating all this beauty for her to enjoy and help her heal through this unfortunate tragedy. We were both silent in awe after this realization.

Susan has a heart of gold, where Will obviously got it from, and I was so impressed with her strength to transform her loss through the new foundation she created in Will's honor.  Please check out their site and donate to her cause!  As Maui Surfer Girls will do through donating surf lessons to a surf day in Will's honor. 

With much aloha to Susan Moulton and The Will Smith Foundation

And thank you for your plug on Maui Surfer Girls:   http://www.thewillsmithfoundation.org/?inc=5&news_id=12253