HONORING THE LEGACY OF BEN CARLSON
The Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation was formed in the wake of Newport Beach Lifeguard Ben Carlson’s final rescue that claimed his life on July 6, 2014. Taking into consideration the things that truly mattered to Ben, your support has enabled the BCMSF to have a long lasting impact in our local community and around the world.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Since 2014 we have provided over $250,000 in college Scholarships to over twenty outstanding students across the United States to support their continued education.
WATER SAFETY
We were instrumental in forming the California Water Safety Coalition, which holds annual Safety Summits across the State of California to better improve how agencies communicate and collaborate around the important topic of water safety, in the ocean, inland waterways, and swimming pools. The Coalition has been a driving force in developing the California Water Safety Strategy in pursuit of a California where everyone is safe in and around the water.
BEN DID GO / PADDLE
For the past 8 years we have hosted an incredible athletic event where individuals endure a 30 mile prone paddle across the Catalina Channel from Avalon to Newport Beach. This event is our biggest fundraiser and grows each year. Over 170 paddlers are registered to take on the Ben Did Go 8.0 challenge which will take place on September 16th.
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH
We support many under resourced lifeguard agencies around the world by providing life saving equipment and also by sharing best practices in lifeguarding. We have donated rescue boards, buoys, fins, sunglasses, and uniforms, as well as an ATV in one case to make beach transportation more efficient. We have supported agencies in Nicaragua, Puerto Escondido, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, South Africa, as well as the Greek Refugee crisis.
JUNIOR LIFEGUARDS
This new initiative began with the support of the 1st annual NBJG Scholarship which will cover the cost of the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard program for select underprivileged local kids. We will also be donating new equipment such as VESL rescue boards to the program for the kids to enjoy. Our goal is to identify and partner with Junior Lifeguard programs to improve drowning prevention and enhance lifesaving skills in this important demographic.
Swim and Water Safety after-school program
The Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation is helping remove financial and practical barriers so Newport-Mesa elementary students can safely access swim and ocean-safety opportunities. Through this initiative, the foundation supplies essential swim gear for the district’s free after-school Swim and Water Safety program and pays Junior Lifeguard swim test fees for students who complete the program and move on to Newport Beach’s Junior Lifeguards.
Our Partners
