BRICK – Children and young adults alike made their way into the ocean at Brick Beach III to enjoy the “Best Day” ever.
The Best Day Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps children and young adults with special needs build confidence and self-esteem through safe and fun adventure experiences.
They host their Best Day event annually, opening up the beach to those with developmental and physical disabilities. These include participants who have spinal cord injury, autism, Down syndrome, blindness or other challenges, such as recovering from cancer.
Jennifer Steffener coordinates the event and is the co-owner of Coastline Adventures Surfing School, who have been helping provide equipment for the event when it came to Brick Township about 12 years ago.
Photo courtesy Jennifer Steffener
“It’s just an amazing day. It really celebrates inclusivity, equity and diversity because we pull local volunteers. What’s unique about our organization is we assign each participant with a buddy depending on what their needs are. That buddy is responsible for making sure that they’re outfitted in all the safety equipment, and schedules them for the water activities and hangs out with them,” Steffener said.
This year, the two-day event had about 70 participants in total and nearly 200 volunteers throughout the weekend.
After registering, participants are greeted at the beach and led through warm ups with superheroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Thor. An obstacle course is set up on the beach for them to explore before heading into the water. The day ends with an award ceremony with each participant getting a medal.
Mayor Lisa Crate, Council President Heather deJong and Councilwoman Melissa Travers joined in on the fun this year, meeting all of the attendees.
Steffener explained how some of the participants may be wheelchair bound. However, they still get to enjoy all the activities thanks to special equipment that was made.
Photo courtesy Jennifer Steffener
“We have a specific board and wheelchairs for the beach and water; chair mounted to a specialized surf board,” she said. “They’re able to sit in the chair, sometimes alone or with a buddy. Then they ride waves in on the chair… they still get the experience of riding a little wave and the chair board has really been a game changer.”
Steffener expressed how the event really is the “best day” for some of the participants, getting to experience things they normally aren’t able to.
Photo courtesy Jennifer Steffener
“Sometimes we have participants who are resistant at first, to get on the surf board. They might be nervous about meeting new people, or scared to try out a new activity. Our team, we just have such gifted volunteers. We never force anyone to come out. But once they do, they have fun,” she said. “They smile sometimes for the first time in their lives. Sometimes they talk about it days after. We just see smiles, and expressions, and reactions, and just an opening up that might not have been there before by having this experience.”
About 70 participants had their Best Day at the beach. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Steffener)
“It’s really incredible. It builds their confidence. It gives them something to be proud of. Sometimes they build lasting relationships and friends with the volunteers and other participants, she added.
To learn more about the Best Day Foundation, visit bestdayfoundation.org.
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