Jun 11, 2025 10:31PM ● By Mb News Staff
It was the “best day ever” for students who participated in the JMMF & JKLivin Beach Day with the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, Matthew McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin Foundation and Indivisible Arts in Manhattan Beach last weekend.
This is the 9th year that the locally founded Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation has collaborated with JKLivin. JKLivin works with underserved and at-risk high school students to lead active and healthy lives, and JMMF’s mission is to help people suffering from mental and physical illness, through surfing, group therapy and the power of the ocean.

The day began as more than 75 students, volunteers, surf instructors, art instructors and friends gathered in a sharing circle, then did a quick warm-up stretch and headed towards three different activities: art on the beach, boogie boarding and of course, surfing.

Most of the teenagers had never tried surfing and many had never been to the beach.
Tension was high as they took their land lessons and learned how to “pop up” on the surfboard while on the sand, and then how to balance while on the board. Each participant had his or her own instructor and two water helpers to retrieve the boards when they fell.
Finally, the first group of surfers hit the water, and were guided to chest deep water, where they waited for the perfect first wave. One by one, each of the participants were pushed into waves by their instructors, who hung on to the back of the surfboards to ensure that their students would have a stable ride. From their stomach, knees and feet, the participants became the “athletes” and ended up being surfers. Their smiles were miles big and the whoops and hollers of encouragement could be heard up and down the beach.

Each group of “athletes” had about 30 minutes at each station and had time to catch many waves, sit in the line-up and experience the joy of being surfers for the day, in hopes they would return to the beach in the future to practice their new skills with friends and family.
The team from Indivisible Arts shared methods of drawing waves, taking the ocean as their subject. With music helping their creative juices, each participant was given a sketch book to create their visions of the waves, and then be able to take it home with their artwork.

The event ended with lunch from Mendocino Farms and a gratitude circle, which encouraged everyone to share the high points of the day. More than one “athlete” reported that it was their best day ever.
Leaders and volunteers included Shannon Rotenberg, Leon Clayborne, Jenny Rizzo and the team from JKLiving; Rafael McMaster and the team from Indivisible Arts; and Andy Dellenbach, Pam Sousa, Kristi Pinocchio, Diana Branda, and the beach team of Russell Wolfe, Tyus Miller and Orion Askinosie; and all volunteers from JMMF.
(All photos by Emily Lemos)