FoWB 2024-2025 Community Partners

Surfers Healing is the original surf camp for children with autism.  What we offer isn’t a ‘cure’, or even ‘traditional’ therapy. It’s a completely different sensation and environment for our participants. We give individuals a chance to encounter the waves, to challenge themselves, to try something new. And since 1 in every 68 US children has an ASD (CDC report, March 2014), our work is more vital than ever. 

  Indo Jax® Surf Charities is committed to empowering disadvantaged, medically fragile and special needs children by exposing them to the ocean environment and teaching them to surf. We believe that the ocean and learning to surf has profound healing properties and can build self esteem in children with special needs. 

Our vision is for a healthy coastal culture.
We promote surfing as a positive lifestyle and engage in the surrounding community, ultimately building a stronger coastal community. 

Wrightsville Beach Ocean Rescue is a division of the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department and is responsible for ensuring public safety on and around the beach strand. The squad is led by an Ocean Rescue Director and Ocean Rescue Captain who are also full-time firefighters/EMTs. WBOR employs 92 seasonal lifeguards, staffing 14 lifeguard stands, and protecting approximately four miles of beach. 

With its earliest foundations dating back to 1977, the UNCW Surf Club is a young and rising organization since its recent renewal in 2001. The purpose of the UNCW Surf Club is to provide a a surf-oriented, recreational, instructional, competitive, and conservation-minded organization for current UNCW students, faculty, and staff. 

 Aloha and welcome to the Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe Club (WBOCC). Outrigger paddling is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle. It includes fostering and preserving Hawaiian culture and practices connected to paddling, the canoes, the ocean, the land, and the people. WBOCC is an all-volunteer, non-profit, non-discriminating organization open to all community members.  

The ESA is the largest amateur surfing association in the world. Its family oriented programs promote a healthy and active lifestyle. It is not uncommon to find two or three generations of the same family involved as members, still actively competing in our program. 

One of the premiere paddle surf wave events in the world.  Run annually each Spring at the South end of Wrightsville Beach, NC.  World-class professional & amateur competitors vie for honors in the surf, just south of the Oceanic/Crystal Pier.

A local Sailfish tournament held in honor of Captain Eddy Hanneman, the first sportfish captain to bring a blue marlin to the dock at Wrightsville Beach, NC..  Anglers compete nearshore for prizes and bragging rights in this prestigous local compeititon.

A local organizaton began to protect public access, promote responsible use and prewserve the traditions of Masonboro island.  Since 2009 hundreds of grassroots volunteers have removed and recycled over 20tons of trash from Masonboro Island during the annual 4th of July Celebration.  In 2013 they launched the Masonboro Island Explorer (ILX) program, an educational, science-based field trip to Masonboro Island to educate New Hanover County 5th grade elementary students.

 The Surfrider Foundation  was begun 40 years ago & is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.  They organize beach sweeps & awareness programs throughout the United States & the world.

 A 501(c)3 non-profit based out of Wilmington, North Carolina. Our mission is to attain science-based solutions to the plastic pollution crisis that inspire all to make informed choices to improve human and environmental health.    We envision a world free of plastic pollution. 

 A Wrightsville Beach volunteer organization working to protect the endangered and threatened sea turtles of Wrightsville Beach, NC, and their nests. 

 The Waterman Hall of Fame is intended to be a lasting tribute for the achievements of the generations of local residents that have shaped this community and its relationship with the water. This award was created to reflect the importance of community spirit and personal contributions to the culture of water sports and professions throughout the history of the Cape Fear Region.  

International Crisis Response

This groups has been instrumental in providing relief to the Western North Carolina region decimateSamritan's Purse stands ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. We specialize in international disaster relief, meeting critical needs for victims of conflict, disaster, famine, and epidemics throughout the world, often working through ministry partners on the ground. We provide food, water, shelter, medicine, and other assistance.

 The Jimmy’s Bike Drive is an official non-profit, and they work with more than 20 other charities to make sure that deserving kids get the bicycles. They’ve surpassed an early goal to make sure that every child in New Hanover County that wants one can get one.  

 FoWB helped kickstart this project organized to digitize and catalog the modern history photographs of Marshall Morgan, local Wrightsville Beach photographer, of the last 40 years of social scenes & happenings.