Kim Johnson, Oahu, 2019 – photo credit Tahnei Roy

On October 5, the Surfrider Foundation will host its 5th annual West Coast One Ocean benefit to support the protection of our ocean, waves and beaches at the eco-friendly farm, The Ecology Center, in San Juan Capistrano, California. Celebrating ‘Women Making Waves,’ this year’s high-profile event will honor environmental activist Kim Johnson, founder of the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation and the Johnson Ohana Foundation. Host Committee members include world-renowned musician Jack Johnson, music video and film director Emmett Malloy, and pro surfer Kelly Slater. Guests will enjoy live music by Lukas Nelson with special guests, hand-crafted cocktails and a gourmet farm-to-table dinner curated by celebrity chef Ed Kenney. A limited number of tickets are available now, with proceeds supporting the protection of the ocean and coasts.

“Our annual One Ocean event brings together leaders from the fashion, surf, business and music industries to protect clean water and healthy beaches,” said Surfrider’s CEO, Dr. Chad Nelsen. “For this year’s West Coast event, we’re excited to celebrate coastal defender, Kim Johnson, whose dedication to environmental initiatives and plastic pollution solutions have impacted millions of people worldwide.”

Kim and her husband, Jack Johnson, founded the Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation in 2003 to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi. In 2008, they founded the Johnson Ohana Foundation to support environmental, art and music education worldwide. As Jack’s manager, Kim serves as creative lead in advancing green touring initiatives, and in the development of fan engagement campaigns through their All At Once social action network. Kim helped to spearhead the Sustainable Concerts Working Group and recently led the global launch of the BYOBottle Campaign to promote reusable water bottles and reduce plastic waste at music events.

“I first heard about the Surfrider Foundation in college, went to a few events, and then really connected with the organization when my husband, Jack, started playing live,” said Kim Johnson. “On Jack’s first club tour in 2001, we invited Surfrider to table at all the shows, which was the beginning of our longstanding relationship. When we launched our All At Once campaign in 2008, we brought a Surfrider Rise Above Plastics representative on the road with us to engage fans on the topics of plastic waste reduction and healthy oceans. Our Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation and the Johnson Ohana Foundation have also worked closely with Surfrider Hawai‘i and San Diego chapters to help support and expand the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program nationwide.”

Sponsors for this year’s One Ocean event include Don Q Rum, Faherty, LaCroix, Scott Dunn, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Delta wines. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit surfrider.org/one-ocean-event.

About the Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful network. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains more than a million supporters, activists and members, with over 170 volunteer-led chapters and student clubs in the U.S., and more than 600 victories protecting our coasts. Learn more at surfrider.org.