CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Active duty military members and their families learned the basics of surfing today as a part of Patriot Surf Camp, a free program put on by the USO of South Texas and Texas Surf Camps. The program is also available to Gold Star families, those who have lost a family member in combat.
"My husband retired after 26 years in the Navy and we've lived you know, Florida, San Diego and we've never seen surf camps offered to military members and their families." Sarah Banta, Executive Director for USO South Texas, says.
This is Patriot Surf Camp's inaugural year, however, they hope to continue the program in the years to come. Today's session was the third of a four part surfing series. Each session has included ten surfers.
"A lot of times, military kids, because they move around so much, what they take with them is memories they make in the cities that they live in," Banta says. "So to give them the opportunity to have this memory made in this city, that's something they'll take with them for a lifetime."
This camp was made possible through partnerships and donations from the Texas Surf Museum and USS Lexington.
"I'm here today learning to surf with my son. USO provided a good opportunity for us to come out and spend some time together so we took advantage of it." Ely Fletcher, U.S. Navy, says. "And just been having a lot of fun out there catching some waves and enjoying being outside."
The final Patriot Surf Camp is next weekend and is already full. If you want to learn more about the USO of South Texas visit: https://southtexas.uso.org/
