With the holiday season right around the corner, Surfrider Pacific Rim is getting ready for their annual Sessions Fundraiser. This year, the auction fundraiser will be taking place from November 9th to December 9th on an online platform! This season, local businesses from around Tofino and Ucluelet have generously donated accommodations, tours, gift cards and more that will be either auctioned off individually or bundled into various Pacific Rim experience packages!

We thank you for taking part in this year’s Session Fundraiser by either making a donation through your business or bidding on this year’s amazing donations on 32 Auctions! Stay tuned as the auction link will be posted below for opening day at 9am. If you have any questions or would like to make a donation email our Beach Clean-Up Coordinator, Sophie, at speters@pacificrim.surfrider.org. 

AUCTION OPENS NOVEMBER 9th: https://www.32auctions.com/SessionsFundraiser2022 

Surfrider Pacific Rim is a nonprofit organization that operates in Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound, fulfilling the mission of protecting and restoring the ocean, beaches, and waves for all people. As a volunteer-powered organization, we prioritize spreading awareness and adopting regulations within the community regarding the plastics crisis. Further, we aim to encourage environmental stewardship through direct action in the form of coastal clean-ups and help protect local marine spaces. This annual fundraiser is crucial to funding our organizations various Programs and Campaigns that help us achieve our goals.

Our Programs include: 

Love Your Beach Clean (LYBC): This program aims to keep the coasts and community clean through monthly organized clean-ups open to the public. Our clean-ups consist of local beach clean-ups, surf competitions, community clean-ups and remote clean-ups. So far in 2022, we have hosted 11 beach clean-ups locally, 2 surf competitions, 3 community clean-ups and 4 remote clean-ups!

Rise Above Plastics (RAP): This program focuses on increasing awareness on plastic pollution issues through targeted campaigns, education and outreach at events. This program also clarifies the connection between plastic pollution and climate change. The goal of the program is to reduce the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and by advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and the recycling of all plastics. 

Youth Environmental Stewardship (YES): This program focuses on youth education around plastic pollution and encouraging environmental stewardship guided by youth for youth. Hence, the program has 2 components schools and youth groups can opt for: the YES Curriculum, and student-led Surfrider Youth Clubs.

Our Campaigns: 

Take Back the Tap (TBTT): The objective of this campaign is to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles 1L and under from the local community through working directly with local businesses and increasing education amongst visitors. This is made possible through our partnership with Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, increasing public access to knowledge about the land and drinking water. To further support this transition away from single-use, Surfrider has installed two new water refill stations in Tofino that are accompanied by educational signage. 

Ocean Friendly Buisness (OFB):This Campaign works to register 8 new businesses in Tofino and Ucluelet each year as Ocean Friendly, by helping them transform their current operations to eliminate unnecessary plastics, divert waste from landfill, and adopt regenerative practices. Businesses are required to meet diversion and sustainability goals to maintain their commitment to being ocean-friendly. Resources, innovative ideas, and best practices developed through this campaign are shared with the entire business community in the Pacific Rim.

Hold Onto Your Butt (HOYB): This campaign aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of cigarette butt litter in the ocean and coastal environments. To encourage a solution to cigarette butt pollution, Surfrider Pacific Rim has installed cigarette recycling canisters across Tofino and Ucluelet. Additionally, we encourage residents to drop their butt at Ozzard Environmental, where they are collected and shipped to Terracycle for recycling. Our organization’s ultimate goal is to eliminate cigarette butt litter in Tofino, Ucluelet and beyond and advocate for the elimination of plastic from cigarette butt filters.

Foam Free Docks (FFD): The goal of this campaign is to eliminate EPS floatation devices from docks in Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds. Last year, we teamed up with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations Tribal Parks to replace the Big Tree Trail dock on Meares Island, which was completed earlier this year, as well as the District fo Tofino to replace the First Street Dock in Tofino, a project still underway. On a provincial and federal level, Surfrider Canada and all associated Chapters continue to advocate the elimination of EPS foam from the marine environment.