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- cliff presenting to the kids and fathers
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- cliff and william denson
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- loading canoes into water
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- paddling with kids and fathers
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- the race is on
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- the first “Huli” flip
I met William Denson, founder of http://www.afatherforever.org/index.html, at a middle school presentation in Los Angeles a few years back which I was highly inspired by his motivation and courage to develop this awareness that specifically impacts our communities and children. We decided, what better fun and a great idea, to bring all these kids and fathers down to the Redondo Beach Outrigger Canoe Club and go for a paddle. We had a blast and reinforced that team work is the main framework for making these boats go fast. Well, at least for a few feet. We ended up racing the fathers against fathers in an all out duo to see who was faster between two canoes. After just seconds of racing, my canoe ended up flipping upside down and we all went for a swim. Shortly later, the second boat was making fun of our dilemma and soon joined the chilly waters as they flipped their canoe. As they say, perfect balance makes perfect… or is that “perfect practice makes perfect”…
Our day started out with a short presentation from William and Cliff illustrating the importance of providing these community partnerships and how dedication, commitment, and persistence can help us overcome adversities in our lives. The kids had a blast paddling the canoes with their fathers which later developed into an appetite for burgers and hot dogs.
To the kids and fathers, your awesome….. See you again next year…
