A group of stand up paddleboarders will be embarking on a journey from Malibu to Huntington Beach Wednesday to raise money for Mike Fisher, a Huntington Beach High School student who is battling brain cancer.
The group of five will start off at Duke’s in Malibu before sunrise for the 50-mile journey, each doing 10 miles of the trek along the Southern California coastline. Fisher, an avid surfer, will do the last leg of the event and arrive at Duke’s in Huntington Beach between 2:30 and 4 p.m.
“Ever since (he was diagnosed), he has had the aloha spirit,” said Fisher’s surf coach Andy Verdone, who is organizing the event.
Fisher has a strong connection to the ocean, getting into the water every single day no matter what the conditions.
“He loves the joy of surfing, the joy of the ocean, the ebb and flow of the tides and the movement. He’s part fish,” Verdone said.
The fundraiser will help raise money for Fisher’s $12,000-a-month treatment – which is not covered by insurance – to make sure he gets his daily dose of 42 pills a day.
“There’s never been one of those moments where all hope is lost. It gets tough. No one ever said life was easy. So you have to deal,” Fisher said in an interview a few months ago.
Huntington Beach lifeguards will meet the paddlers during the last leg of the paddle to ensure they make it in safe.
The fundraiser for Fisher will continue through the night as part of Duke’s Big Wednesday, which they do each week to benefit various causes. Supporters can purchase a T-shirt made by O’Quinn clothing company at the event, or go to savemikeshead.org for more info.
“It’s going to be a great thing for everyone, in terms of understanding a young man’s plight against brain cancer,” said Verdone.
When: Wednesday, May 27; paddlers hoping to get in between 2:30 - 4 p.m., with fundraiser all night at Duke’s
Where: Duke’s at the Huntington Beach Pier
Mike Fisher had two words after a long day of stand-up paddling: “I’m tired.”
