Fair Game
By TOM JOHNSON
Remembering a loss on Memorial Day and looking ahead to a young person’s fundraising efforts, again!
Yesterday was Memorial Day. It’s a day we honor the thousands and thousands of military veterans who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country through the many battles over the years of war. It’s always a day I take seriously in remembrance of someone in my family who was taken long, long ago.
You see, in 1945, three days prior to the end of World War II, my father’s brother, Nathaniel Clifford Wolf, was killed aboard a naval vessel by a kamikaze fighter pilot in the South Pacific. The incident robbed our family of a lifetime together.
Never having met Uncle Cliff, I can only imagine the impact and memories he could have offered our lives. It’s sad to think about.
The kamikazes were a suicide attack squad of the Empire of Japan against the Allies intending to destroy warships more effectively than with conventional air attacks. About 3,800 kamikaze pilots died during the war, killing more than 7,000 naval personnel with their attacks.
For those many other families who have similar stories, my heart also bleeds for you.
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So, there’s a fifth grader in town named Alia Marriner. She attends El Morro Elementary. She reminded me through an email that two years ago she did a swim from Crescent Bay to Victoria Beach raising money for Black Lives Matter.
At the time, she wrote Stu News’ editors asking them that they consider writing an article about her efforts. They did. The result was that Alia was able to raise some $7,000. Well, she’s back, again planning a similar swim, this time along with some friends. They’re calling the June 10 event Aquagrom. She explains that the name comes from “basically an Aquathon for kids. And kids who spend a lot of time in the ocean are called groms.”
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Courtesy of Aquagrom
Aquagrom fundraising swim planned for June 10
This time around Alia will be raising funds for Get Inspired, a group she explains as a “charity that helps Orange County’s oceans.” She informed me that marine biologist Nancy Caruso started Get Inspired. Through it she’s helped restore Orange County’s kelp forests by including education to the next generation. Caruso also helped start the Annual Kelpfest in Laguna Beach, now promoted by the Laguna Ocean Foundation, which incidentally returns this Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the cobblestones at Main Beach.
We’ll get back to that in a minute.
First, Alia is hoping readers will again support her fundraising efforts by going to www.gofundme.com/f/aquagrom-2023. My only comment is that it’s nice that we have young people like Alia who see the importance in not only working to save our oceans, but by also raising money to do so.
As far as the Kelpfest festivities go, join them as they celebrate Laguna Beach’s unique shoreline, the vital coastal resources and the kelp that supports them. This free festival features music, activities, informational booths, games and art. Highlights this year include live art creation, ukulele performances by the Seaside Serenaders and edible kelp snacks.
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Courtesy of LagunaOceanFoundation.org
Kelpfest celebrates the vital importance of their fields in our oceans
It also continues with an after-party at the Laguna Beach Beer Company from 3-6 p.m.
• • •
Still time to get tickets to the Laguna Live! Bluegrass and BBQ planned for the Laguna College of Art + Design on June 11. The BBQ is from 4-6 p.m., with the band, the award-winning bluegrass Americana band MOHAVISOUL, performing from 5-7 p.m.
Tickets are available for the concert only at $25, or the concert and BBQ for $52 at www.lagunabeachlive.org/blank-20-2.
The barbecue will be provided by Richard Jones Pit BBQ; Bianchi Winery will offer a selection of their award-winning Paso Robles wines and Costa Mesa’s master beer maker Salty Bear Brewing Co. will be serving their most popular brews.