MARINA DEL REY OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB

Marina Del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club’s mission is to perpetuate authentic Polynesian Outrigger Canoe Racing through competitive canoe racing. We foster community, family values, education, health and physical fitness for all ages. The mission of Marina Outrigger’s Youth Program is to enhance the quality of life for the children we serve through welcoming all kids into an enriching sports program, educating them on the rich heritage and value of outrigger canoeing, and providing a positive environment to learn teamwork, self-esteem, work ethic, and our impact on the ocean environment. Marina Outrigger members unite to perform a variety of community service projects and make a difference in the community. For example, paddlers work with children enrolled in the Boys & Girls Club, the Los Angeles Junior Lifeguard Program and other youth organizations, to introduce them to Hawaiian canoe paddling. Some of these children live in the inner city, and have never been to the beach, making this experience all the more impactful and important to them. They learn about the sport, Hawaiian and Polynesian culture, ocean safety, nutrition, fitness and the amazing sea life in the area. Other organizations Marina Outrigger has worked with, and continues to reach out to, includes Makapo, LA Blind, Zeno Mountain Farms and ARCC Center Stage Childcare Program. Marina Outrigger paddlers are passionate about protecting the environment and they do what they can to keep the world around them pristine. They work to clean up trash in the marina and ocean, when they are at paddling practice or on their single man crafts, such as a one-man outrigger canoe or surfski. It is not uncommon to see paddlers arriving back at Mother's Beach with large bags of trash that they picked up during a long ocean paddle. Marina Outrigger's junior and adult paddlers ensure we regularly clean up Mother's Beach where the team is based. Marina Outrigger holds larger, quarterly events during which volunteers pick up trash and perform more substantial maintenance and beautifying projects. Paddlers also act as a watchdog of sorts for birds and mammals they encounter. They have stopped to rescue sea life entangled in fishing wire and other debris and called in ocean mammal and bird rescue organizations to help save sea life when circumstances require professional intervention.