Women Making Waves

On Saturday, July 13, the Surfrider Foundation will dive into its fifth annual One Ocean event in Montauk to benefit clean water and healthy beaches at The Edward Vincent Ecker, Sr. County Park. This year’s theme is Women Making Waves, which will honor a Montauk entrepreneur and coastal activist, Jayma Cardoso, owner of the Surf Lodge.

“I got involved with Surfrider about five years ago at the first One Ocean benefit in Montauk. Before then, I had no idea how bad the water quality was in some of the ponds and lakes in our community. I did some research and decided to help clean up Fort Pond, where my coastal business, the Surf Lodge, is located. I was also moved by Surfrider’s impact,” Cardoso said.

The nonprofit grassroots organization, founded in 1984 in Malibu, CA, aims to eliminate waste from waterways and make way for cleaner oceans of the future. With 81 chapters across 10 regions in the United States and Canada, Surfrider continues to make victorious progress. Major accomplishments have thus far been the ban of plastic bags in California, protecting the Atlantic Ocean from offshore oil drilling, and, most recently, a state-wide plastic bag ban in Oregon.

Currently, in the Northeast, there are 24 active campaigns. On the East End, there is a focus on Little Fresh Pond in the Town of Southampton, in addition to Fresh Pond Beach in Amagansett, and others.

Cardoso opened nightlife hot spots in New York City, Cain and GoldBar. In addition, she is a current partner in Lavo, a restaurant/nightclub combination. After launching the Surf Lodge over 10 years ago, she continues to spearhead upgrades to the establishment that respect its precious water surroundings. Cardoso has played a key role in encouraging the community to protect the coast. One of her major endeavors was a dedicated commitment to eliminate single-use plastics in the Montauk business community, as plastics often end up in the ocean, affecting marine life.

The One Ocean benefit will include a cocktail hour with live music and a sit-down dinner to follow. There will be live music by Wild Belle and a guest DJ.

“Surfrider’s One Ocean event brings together leaders from the fashion, surf, finance, business, and music industries to support clean water and healthy beaches,” said Surfrider’s CEO, Dr. Chad Nelsen. “This year, we’re excited to celebrate the many visionary and dedicated women — the scientists, attorneys, policy experts, teachers, volunteers, and surfers — who are fighting to protect our ocean, waves, and beaches. We’re especially pleased to honor Jayma Cardoso, who has made substantial investments to ensure the Surf Lodge reduces plastic pollution and advances clean water.”

Cocktail hour is $100 and entry-level full event tickets start at $500. The event begins at 5 PM. Purchase tickets at www.surfrider.org/one-ocean-event.

nicole@indyeastend.com