Be sure to check out the Surfline article featuring Quiksilver team rider and Chilean charger Ramon Navarro who is leading an earthquake relief effort in Chili…click here to read.

“It is amazing to see how the international surfing community and organizations have rallied around us to support our country in this time of need” -Ramon Navarro.

How you can help:

Save The Waves Coalition
Online donations: http://www.savethewaves.org/
Donations by check: Save The Waves Coalition
PO Box 183, Davenport, CA 95017, USA; +1-831-426-6169
Mark “Chile Earthquake” in comments/memo fields
Save The Waves Nonprofit Tax ID # 36-4515216
Contact: Lindsey Davis, +1-831-426-6169, lindsey@savethewaves.org

As you all are aware the coast of Chile was hit Saturday morning by a devastating 8.8 earthquake, with numerous significant aftershocks following.  The epicenter of the quake was in the heart of the Chilean surf community and our team rider Ramon Navarro’s turf, from Pichilemu south to Concepcion.  So this one’s close to home for Quiksilver.

We’ve been assessing the situation with a handful of people on the ground, including our very own Quinn Campbell, who’s been invaluable on helping us the last 2 days sort out the damage and the needs.  It’s become abundantly clear the most immediate need is providing water filters, as most of the water delivery systems have been severely damaged.

With that, on behalf of the company, the Quiksilver Foundation is contributing  to Save the Waves, which has been on the ground since the get-go and is very connected to the local populations and the surf community due to its extensive environmental initiatives there.  We are very pleased to be supporting their efforts, which are in conjunction with two other organizations assisting them, Waves for Water and Operation Rainbow.

Additionally, we encourage each of you to donate individually what you can to the relief effort in Chile.  We are confident that your donations will be productively used by routing them to any one of the three aid organizations involved in the region:

• Save the Waves
• Waves for Water
• Operation Rainbow

Thank you all for your contributions and heartfelt wishes to the people of Chile for a successful relief and rebuilding effort in the coming months.

The Monterey Bay Aquariums has a great Seafood Guide loaded with useful information for all of you seafood lovers. Be sure to check it out and learn how you can choose ocean-friendly seafood wherever you live or travel. for more info please click here.

As you know, the magnitude 7 quake that struck Haiti this past Tuesday has become a major catastrophe for the region to say the least.  Thousands of people are without shelter, food and water.  There has been no firm estimate on how many people have lost their lives in the quake but experts estimate that toll could be in the thousands.  The international Red Cross estimated 3 million people (a third of the population) may need emergency relief.

In response, The Quiksilver Foundation is making a contribution to Operation USA.  Operation USA is an international relief agency that helps communities at home and abroad overcome the effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid.  Our contribution to Operation USA will help to gather the much needed medical and emergency supplies.

If you would like to make a personal contribution,  listed below are  a number of different NGO’s (non-governmental organization) that are taking donations to purchase the resources needed (i.e. temporary shelters, food, water and medical supplies).

• The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund at   https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?4306.donation=form1&idb=428732091&df_id=4306&JServSessionIdr004=yxa9a0v901.app194a&NoJSReload=1

• UNICEF has issued a statement that “Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them.” UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1 You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.

• Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yele Haiti at http://www.yele.org/ or Text “Yele” to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization.

• Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at http://www.opusa.org/ or by phone at 1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.

• International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. The IMC previously helped recovery efforts after September 2009’s earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the massive 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Donate to the International Medical Corps through their 24-hour hotline at 800-481-4462 or on the web at http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=332

• Ben Stiller’s http://www.stillerstrong.org/ campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort.

• Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online at http://www.mercycorps.org/, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208.

• Doctors Without Borders is on the ground and has set up clinics to treat injured in Haiti. Donate any amount at http://doctorswithoutborders.org/ so they can keep their efforts going.

• Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online at https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?idb=12200272&3600.donation=form1&df_id=3600&JServSessionIdr004=65h0vak8m1.app240a

Thank you for your help and support.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this tragedy.

Some of surfing’s biggest names came together over the last few weeks to share the joys of waveriding with children affected by Cystic Fibrosis (CF). And what better place to introduce surfing than its birthplace — Hawaii.

Founded in 2008, the Mauli Ola Foundation (“Breath Of Life” in Hawaiian) provides fun and supportive surf experiences for those struggling with the life-threatening disease. This year, Kelly Slater, Jamie O’Brien and Buttons Kaluhiokalani were among two dozen pros on hand to help pass along the stoke.

Check out surfline to read more.

For more information on the Mauli Ola Foundation please visit their website at www.mauliola.org.

Check out all the great programs our friends at Eco Surf Volunteers have coming up in 2010. For more infomation visit their website…

On November 19, ISA President Fernando Aguerre met in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the highest authority of the Sports World, Mr. Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President. Also in attendance was IOC Sports Director, Mr. Christophe Dubi. Surfing chances for Olympic Games inclusion was part of the agenda. Over 15 years ago Aguerre started his quest to get Surfing into the world most important sporting event. Surfing was one of the most attractive sports on the Asian Beach Games (Bali, 2008). Surfing will be featured in the South American Beach Games (Uruguay, December 2009). For the third time in a row Surfing was part of the Bolivarian Games. Also, some other Action Sports like BMX and Snowboarding were added to the Sports Program in the last ten years.

Read more here.