Surfrider Foundation to honor David Chokachi, Incubus and Pearl Jam

In celebration of their 25th Anniversary, the Surfrider Foundation is honoring actor David Chokachi, and the members of Incubus and Pearl Jam with the organization’s prestigious Keeper of the Coast Award. The coveted award is presented only once every five years to those celebrities who have made significant contributions towards helping the Surfrider Foundation fulfill its mission of protecting and preserving our world’s oceans, waves and beaches.

“We could not have chosen a more deserving group of honorees for our Keeper of the Coast awards,” says Matt McClain, Surfrider Foundation’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “Over the years, David, Incubus and Pearl Jam have continued to help the Surfrider Foundation advance its mission and raise coastal awareness amongst friends, family and the public, and for that we extremely grateful.”

With a career spanning over 15 years, and a resume including “Baywatch,” “Whitchblade,” and “Beyond the Break,” David Chokachi is one of the most recognizable actors working today. An avid surfer and stand up paddleboarder, David’s longstanding passion for the ocean led him to connect with the Surfrider Foundation in 2005.

Since then, David has become one of the organization’s key spokespeople, appearing in front of news cameras for International Surfing Day and promoting the Foundation throughout his 2009 appearance on VH1’s “Confessions of A Teen Idol.” In addition, David has participated in both the Surfrider Foundation’s Celebrity Surf Jam and the Celebrity Expression Session to raise funds for the organization.

Multi-platinum recording artist Incubus’ career and involvement in ocean-related issues began much like the Surfrider Foundation’s; from humble beginnings in Southern California. Since forming in 1991, Incubus has continued to inspire their fans through their both their music, and their commitment to various environmental and social causes.

In 2003 the band founded their own non-profit foundation, the Make Yourself Foundation (MYF), which works to fund various environmental causes around the world. Surfrider Foundation was one of the first charities to receive assistance, securing a $10,000 donation from MYF. The band also continues to raise awareness and support the Surfrider Foundation through various endeavors – participating in the Surfrider Foundation’s Celebrity Surf Jam events in 2005 and 2006, as well as working with chapters to table at concerts, and promoting the foundation through their website and social media outlets.

For over 10 years, Pearl Jam has played an instrumental role in the growth and success of the Surfrider Foundation. In 1995, Eddie Vedder and the band graciously donated proceeds from two of their San Diego shows during crucial development stages of the Surfrider Foundation’s chapter network. In 1996, the band helped launch the successful Music for Our Mother Ocean (MOM) series; contributing the songs “Gremmie Out Of Control” for the debut compilation and “Whale Song” for the 1999 MOM III CD.

In 2006, the band joined environmentalists, the surf industry and residents in the fight against the proposed 241 Toll Road Extension, donating $30,000 from their Los Angeles concerts to the Surfrider Foundation’s “Save Trestles” campaign. Vedder also made public pleas on San Diego radio stations from halfway around the world for listeners to attend City Council meetings and voice their opposition to the toll road.

Pearl Jam has also gone beyond the U.S. Mainland and raised funds and awareness in Hawaii, hosting a benefit concert for the North Shore Community Land Trust’s “Save Pupukea Paumalu” campaign. Proceeds from the concert enabled the Land Trust to purchase and protect the environmentally sensitive headlands above Oahu’s famed North Shore.

Surfrider Foundation’s Keeper of the Coasts recipients will be honored at the organization’s 25th Anniversary Gala on Friday, October 9 at the California Science Center’s Wallis Annenberg Building in Los Angeles. The event is sponsored by Filter For Good and Barefoot Wine, and presented by FUEL TV and Filter Magazine. For additional information and to purchase tickets, go to www.surfrider.org/25th

About Surfrider Foundation
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Now in its 25th year, the Surfrider Foundation has grown from a small group of dedicated surfers in Malibu, California to a global movement made up of over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide. For more information visit us at www.surfrider.org