On Saturday, Aug. 9, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino hosted a special event for Heart of Surfing.
Heart of Surfing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 by Shore Local publisher Bob Fertsch and editor Cindy Fertsch in honor of their son, Jamie, who was on the autism spectrum.
“He really loved to go surfing with his dad. He enjoyed being out in the water on a surfboard. Although he was never able to stand, he loved to ride the waves,” Cindy said. “So we had an idea to try to bring more people into his life. We invited some friends to come join him, and they loved it. We recruited volunteers, and it grew and grew.”
By the end of that first summer there were about 50 families joining them every Saturday to surf.
In 2020, however, the Fertschs lost their son and had to make a decision on whether to continue the organization or not. They ultimately decided that keeping it going was the best way to honor Jamie’s legacy.
Now, with the assistance of volunteers and the beach patrols, they take 100 participants surfing every Saturday from mid June through Labor Day at the Jersey Shore, primarily in Atlantic and Cape May counties.
Day of surfing at Hard Rock
Saturday’s event was hosted by Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, with special guests from the Eagles Autism Foundation, including Swoop — the Eagles’ mascot — and the Eagles cheerleaders.
They gave out special co-branded reusable water cups to each of the participants and raffled off a football and helmet that were signed by Eagles players.
Heart of Surfing, with the support of Hard Rock employees, South Jersey Boardriders and the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, took 150 participants with autism — a record number — surfing that day. Volunteers showed up to help both in the water and on the sand.
“It was fabulous. My son got to surf a lot and see all his friends,” Tracy Dowd, a mom of one of the participants, said. She and her 21-year-old son, Kevin, who has autism, have been involved with the organization for about 10 years.
“The kids were able to have a fun time, and go to the beach and not be judged and relax. Nobody’s worried about their kids melting down … Everybody’s just able to enjoy themselves and be who they are,” Tracy said.
In addition to bringing the special guests to the event, Hard Rock also made a $5,000 donation to Heart of Surfing.
“Hard Rock has been supporting us for four years now — donating $5,000 — and it makes a tremendous difference,” Cindy said.
She said they used to have to borrow boards from local surf shops and were always running short on life vests, but donors like Hard Rock have helped to ensure they have all the necessary equipment.
Heart of Surfing is 100% volunteer driven. Because of the support of sponsors and donors, the organization recently was able to purchase a $3,000 adaptive surfboard designed for participants with significant motor challenges. This allows the rider to sit on the board while someone is on the back, holding onto straps to guide them.
The specially designed surfboard not only lets participants ride the waves safely to shore but also improves their ability to see their surroundings. Some children may otherwise lie on their stomachs but would be unable to lift their heads or push up with their shoulders, limiting their view and awareness of how they’re moving through the water.
“Hard Rock Atlantic City was proud to host the fourth annual Heart of Surfing event, teaching [individuals] with disabilities and autism how to surf. It was a truly special day for the 150 kids who also had the opportunity to meet the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders and Eagles mascot, Swoop. Our Hard Rock team members made this surf day possible by volunteering to work with the kids while they embrace our core motto to ‘Take Time To Be Kind,’” said George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, in a statement to Shore Local.
Cindy recalled another significant moment, at 10:45 a.m., when they paused the event and everyone gathered in front of Swoop and the cheerleaders for a group photo, followed with the E-A-G-L-E-S chant and singing the team’s fight song, “Fly Eagles Fly.”
“It was just so fun and heartwarming to see how excited these kids were and they all knew the chant,” she said.
The Atlantic City Beach Patrol also sent guards to help with the event. They formed a human chain — standing about 20 feet apart from each other— around the jetty to guide anyone who drifted too close back to safety.
“We really couldn’t have done it without their support,” Cindy said. “There had been rip currents all week and there was a northeast sweep that day that was pulling the surfers toward a jetty.”
A community built from the beginning
After 11 years, the nonprofit has grown into something the Fertschs never thought possible.
To the Fertschs, volunteers have always been and remain the heart of the organization.
Denise Bradley has volunteered intermittently for 10 years, but her friendship with Cindy and Bob goes back much further — through their sons, Liam Bradley, who had autism, and Jamie Fertsch, who grew up together from a young age.
In 2017, the Fertschs created a scholarship to honor Liam’s legacy, which is awarded to a volunteer each year.
“My son, Liam, was severely autistic, and the hardest part for individuals and for families sometimes is finding their community in that sense, and people that understand just the daily struggles of being a special needs family,” Bradley said. “What is amazing about [this organization] is that it supports the entire family, so the siblings are included in it, as well as parents, peer moms and dads that understand what our days look like, which are entirely different from a lot of other families.”
She said that the repetition of having the quantity of events on a regular basis helps those individuals with disabilities find a purpose and community, and become more comfortable in their environment.
As a volunteer, Bradley helps to arrange the events, match up the volunteers to surfers and makes sure everyone gets a turn to surf. She also is a member of the organization’s Board, which includes six people total.
Like Bradley, and Tracy and Kevin Dowd, about 30 of the nonprofit’s participants have been a part of it since just about the beginning, including Zach Ginet.
Zach, 25, who has autism and Down syndrome, and his mom, Pam, started attending the nonprofit’s events a decade ago.
“We went, and he was hooked. He loved it. So he just kept on coming back, and it turned into something amazing for him,” Pam said. “[Heart of Surfing] has given him a community. He really has gotten a lot out of it. Cindy encouraged him to join the surf team at the high school. And he really made a good group of friends.”
Not just surfing
Heart of Surfing’s mission is to provide recreational activities for families with individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities. While surfing is the main activity offered, the nonprofit also hosts others, such as adaptive skateboarding, sensory-friendly roller skating and ice skating, days at water parks and visits to trampoline parks.
Because the Fertschs know what it’s like to raise a child with autism and how expensive it can get with medical costs, special diets and therapy, every activity is completely free.
“Our mission is to provide a safe, positive experience for every surfer, skater or participant — wherever they are on the spectrum. We meet them there, and encourage them to be the best they can be,” Cindy said. “We just want to create a smile within a supportive and welcoming space.”
Julia is a recent Rider University graduate, where she studied multiplatform journalism and social media strategies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, photography and the beach. She can be reached at juliatrainmedia@gmail.com or connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
