okay. I'm going to try to clear a bit of the fog here because it seems like there are a lot of questions. First of all, it is important to mention that the organization is not for profit. The organization is not trying to sell anything other than getting kids off the couch long enough to put down the x-box controller and go do something fun in the water. If this organization does an event WITH WSW, it does not mean they are one and the same. Sure, WSW is trying to make a buck. They are a for-profit business. They fill a need that the community has. They have agreed to HELP with this event. If they happen to sell a couple wakeboards because of it, great.
Any NEW organization must start with small, attainable goals. The possibilities at this point are endless as to how far it can reach. All the ideas that Sean mentioned in his post are definite possibilities. Just because this particular event is taking place at Madeira Beach Middle School does not mean that the organization is focused on wealthy bratty kids. Everyone needs to start somewhere. We happened to make a contact at MDMS and they invited us to participate at their event. This is a great way to make more contacts within the pinellas county school system so that we can work with other, more needy schools in the future. This is a fun event that will expose the kids to a couple of fun sports.
As for the comment about us doing something for them getting straight A's... its not about us at that point. If kids like to participate in watersports, it can really be a great benefit to THEIR life. Unfortunately most of us were adults when we started this sport however I know that many of us participated in other sports when we were younger like wakeboarding, skateboarding, water skiing, etc. Go ahead and ask Josh Taylor or Adam if they would be allowed to come out and ride all weekend if they were getting crappy grades. It gives them motivation to do well. This is no different than participating in soccer or football.
As for the purpose of the club/organization. I think that it is two-fold. Yes, one of the goals of this program is to promote safety and protect access. One of the ideas discussed has been the signs and right now we're not going to discuss that because its not the purpose of this thread. However, protecting access is not the only purpose of this organization. I'm not sure if the board members have a mission statement yet or not, but i can tell you that part of the main focus of the organization is community outreach. Whether this be a food drive, a beach cleanup, a school-related appearance, etc. It is a way to be a part of the community and promote healthy living. So yes, although the sign stuff is a portion of the goals that are being set, kiteboarding events (races, demos, cook-outs, etc) as well as community service AND exposing kids to the sport is all part of this up and coming organization.
We're starting out small, broke and exploding with new ideas so bear with us. We may not be throwing free races/events this month but as more people want to participate and more organization is structured, it should be getting more and more fun!
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