Ask Claudia Acuña about Louis Harris and the East Coast chapter of the Black Surfing Association, and she’ll tell you they “saved my kid’s life.”
For the last five years, Ms. Acuña and her son, Daniel Kelley, 14, have been part of a community that Mr. Harris built in Rockaway Beach, Queens.
Mr. Harris, 53, founded the chapter in 2016. The nonprofit, which is funded through donations and corporate sponsorships, offers free surfing lessons on summer weekend mornings and equipment to any child who shows up.
Parents whose children Mr. Harris has taught say his efforts have transformed their children’s lives.
Among them is Daniel. His mother, Ms. Acuña, said her son was depressed in the summer of 2020, dealing with the pandemic and bullying, when Mr. Harris’s surf school provided a lifeline.
The program “completely changed everything,” she said, adding that Daniel blossomed and his confidence soared. “As a mother,” she said, “it’s the most beautiful gift that any mother can have.”
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The post At a Queens Surf School, Kids’ Confidence Comes in Waves appeared first on New York Times.
