June Casagrande
The Surfrider Foundation has found a way to turn vice into virtue.
People who come to Margaritaville on Saturday for the concoctions
will get to take part in a second guilty pleasure: "Casino Night."
It's more innocent than it seems. The players of the Vegas-style
games will compete for donated prizes instead of cash. At the same
time, they will be helping one of Newport-Mesa's favorite causes.
"It's all to help benefit water quality in the area," said Ray
Halowski , a Surfrider Foundation spokesman, who concocted the event
with Margaritaville general manager Steve Pickford.
The proceeds will benefit Surfrider's Teach and Test program,
which gives local schools the equipment and training to allow
students to test local waters for pollution.
"It lets them see for themselves what the water's like and how
what we do on land affects the water," Halowski said.
Saturday's event will be short on the sermons but long on
excitement. Anyone who walks into the Coast Highway watering hole and
Mexican food restaurant can buy scrip to use in a number of different
casino games. Donated prizes including two skateboards signed by pro
boarder Tony Hawk, surfing lessons, surf movies on DVD, a surfboard
and other prizes.
"We've done stuff with Surfrider in the past, and we wanted to do
another event," Pickford said. "This was perfect. It's the perfect
way to have a good time while helping an organization that really is
making a difference."
