Boys To Men Mentoring Network held an event honoring the Transplant Games of America, which included a donor tribute paddle out at La Jolla Shores on Sunday, July 31.

Dozens of participants took part, which included surfers of all ages and abilities alongside members of the network. The event had beautiful floating memorial tributes on the water in honor of organ donors and their loved ones.

“Whatever I intended or planned it to be, it was a hundred times better,” said event organizer Joe Sigurdson. “It was beautiful, it was divine. I didn’t know how many donor families were going to show up to be a part of the ceremony and the healing that they got from this process was hugely impactful.”

Among those who took part in the paddle-out were parents whose son passed away in a motorcycle accident eight years ago at the age of 22. Both his birthday and day of passing coincided with the date the paddle out was held, July 31.

“They both paddled out and brought a portion of their son’s ashes to spread,” Sigurdson added. “This was all in God’s hands the whole time and everybody that needed to be here was here. The impact that we had on the families that came to be a part of this was huge.”

About half the people who attended the gathering took part in the paddle out. The Boys To Men Mentoring Network was founded in 1996 by Herb Sigurdson, Joe Sigurdson, and Craig McClain in La Mesa.

“We do a lot of honoring at Boys To Men so this was not a foreign concept to me,” said Sigurdson. “I took on putting this thing together as part of my service to the Holiday Bowl.” Sigurdson is one of more than 300 “RedCoat” volunteers with the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.

Photo by Alex Abatie