The event was hosted by Sal Masekela with honorable chairs: Dave Annable, Odette Annable and Jason Lewis. A night of motivational videos and clips of incredible people living with SCI.

The live auction consisted of some incredible items up for grabs including a pair of his and hers Corum wtaches, and all expense trip to Fiji’s Tavarua Island, and amazing Hawaii 5-0 package AND a few Jason Mraz packages which consisted of front row seats to his concert, backstage access, a chance to surf and hang out with Jason at Hollister and the biggie…. Jason Mraz coming to your home to chill with his awesome voice and his amazing guitar. Pretty cool!

Rachelle Friedman, who recently made national headlines after her freak accident last year, also made a special appearance and captured the audience as she rolled onto the stage to share her story with everyone. You can see her story by clicking here.

A big surprise came for everyone when Jason Mraz decided on playing live along side Toca Rivera, which ultimately turned into a little mini private concert by the end of the night. Everyone was feeling the love and to keep the Jason Mraz vibe going, San Diego Hat Company donated a hat to all guests, which was pretty cool.  It was a great night of inspiration, motivation and incredible people, made possible by some amazing sponsors and volunteers. As always, I left with a very filled heart.

A special thank you to the sponsors for the event:

Balance Vector
Barefoot wine & bubbly
Bill Silva Management
CBS
Citizens of Humanity
Joanne Gimbel
Fox Television Group
Jason Mraz
Paradigm
San Diego Hat Company
Shoe City
Thinktank
Warrior Posts
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC
Wells Fargo Capital Financ

• 10th Place: Red Light Management Music Package
• 9th Place: Two-Night Stay at The Inn at Deep Canyon in Palm Desert and Dragon Alliance Sunglasses
• 8th Place: Three-Night Stay at Embassy Suites in Denver and Dragon Alliance Sunglasses
• 7th Place: One Night Stay at the W Hotel in Dallas, Dinner for Two at Craft and Dragon Alliance Sunglasses
• 5th Place: Ziggy Marley Autographed Skateboard and Swag Bag
• 4th: One Year of Chiropractic Care Valued at $3450
• 3rd: Mytrle Beach Vacation
• 2nd: Two-Hour Private Poker Lesson with Annie Duke
• 1st: Seat in the World Series of Poker, valued at $10,000

Professional poker icon Annie Duke played at a table with poker personality George Kozel, which seemed to be the loudest table in the room!  For those familiar with the game of Texas Hold Em, you’ll know that shooting a tournament like this is very unpredictable since there is no official ending time, which means you just kinda have to wait to see what happens. As the blinds went up and players got eliminated, the final table was set a little after 11:00PM. It came down to the last two final players at the wee hours of the morning, officially ending a little after 1:00AM. It was a very fun and casual night of poker.  Singer Jason Mraz sat next to Jesse Billauer and did pretty well before getting eliminated. Supermodel Joanna Krupa and Actress Shanna Moakler looked beautiful as usual and had a wonderful time at the tables.  Of all the celebrity participants, Shanna Moakler was the top finisher in 9th place.

Saturday 4/30/11 was surf day at the beach and the weather was PERFECT. I felt so proud to be apart of a wonderful organization and to see the event finally come together was magical for me. Plain and simple. I have poured my heart and soul into this project and to see it come together so beautifully was incredibly rewarding and gratifying. Upon arriving to White Plains beach, I took a moment to soak it all in and say a little thank you prayer for allowing me to be apart of such a great day. I then grabbed my gear and started shooting away. Thank you Aunty Miki and Aunty Nif for assisting me throughout the day and following me around with my cameras.

Once everyone checked in, they went to their designated areas for a team meeting held by awesome land leaders: Robin, Joann, Quynh and Tina. Once briefed everyone got together for a beautiful prayer and blessing by our Kahu, Manu; who blew his conch shell to open our day and bless everyone. Two of the youngest surfers; Hunter, age 5 and Maile, age 4 were amongst the first to hit the waves. Both children were born with spina bifida and are unable to walk… however, fully capable of surfing!

Breakfast was provided by Leonard’s Bakery, Ba-Le, Starbucks. Yeah, malasadas is king! LOL  Drinks provided by Function Water and Lulu’s Waikiki. Lunch provided by Lulu’s Waikiki, Duke’s Waikiki and Panda Express. Blessing of the beach by kahu Manu Mook, music provided by Local Uprising. My family was instrumental in assisting me make this a huge success, including many of my friends, colleagues and local businesses throughout the local community. This event would not have been possible without all the support from many, so thank you everyone for helping me make Life Rolls On first trip to Hawaii a success. The support and love I’ve gotten was overwhelming and so appreciated. MAHALO.

Some of our sponsors were: Ty Gurney Surf School, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, US Navy, Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Hawaiian Island Creations, Star Beach Boys, Wahoo’s Kahala, Barefoot League, High Status Hawaii, Jams World, Surf N Sea, Tanioka’s, Rainbow Drive Inn, Augie T,  Laird Hamilton, Roy’s Restaurant, Walmart, Target, McDonalds, Franco Harris, Kurt Suzuki, Shane Victorino, Access Surf, Rehab of the Pacific, Pretty Sweet Custom Cakes,  Hypersquad Dance Company, My2 Fish custom cards, artist Luvi Lewis, Mana Kai Beach resort, Trader Joe’s, Rudy’s Flower Shop, Hawaii Photo Rental, Sanuk Slippers and more.

A big mahalo to all the volunteers who came out and helped. Everyone was instrumental and key to making this They Will Surf Again a great one. On behalf of Maile and my entire family…. MAHALO to all. Me Ke Aloha!!!

Please watch a little slideshow below by clicking play on the lower left corner……

Join us Sat 4/30 at 9:00 as we take those suffering from paralysis surfing at White Plains Beach in Ewa. If you know anyone living with paralysis, we have a few slots available. Register now by going to www.liferollson.org/hawaii. It’s FREE to register! Come join us for a day filled with food, fun, inspiration and surfing. Hope to see you there!

Little Maile will be one of those surfing too thanks to Life Rolls On. Be sure to click play below…

My hero Maile from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

See more of Alex and Scott with the surfboard by clicking here:

The NSP surfboard was donated by  Aaron Rutledge and Tony Rutledge from Star Beach Boys, passed around set to get autographed by the Hawaii Five-O Cast;  Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park and then photographed by myself. How awesome is that!  We wil be having an opportunity drawing at our They Will Surf Again Kick Off Event on Friday 4/29/11 at Wahoo’s in Kahala, Hawaii…which is where you can win the board! $10 gives you a chance to win the board amongst a few other great prizes. Buy more and increase your chances of winning! 100% donated to Life Rolls On. Stay tuned for a detailed list of all prizes available for our drawing.  I thought I would send this out to all of you Hawaii Five-O fans across the globe.  You do not have to be present to win; however, keep in mind…should you win the board, you will be responsible for any shipping costs involved.  I will be giving away a few tickets on my facebook page, so be sure to like it and stay tuned for winners! Click here to see my facebook page. Please click here if you would like to donate and have a chance at winning the autographed surfboard!

Interested in showing your support? email me at gayla@gaylaelizabeth.com or call 808-729-7788.  If you suffer from paralysis and want to surf in Hawaii, be sure to register here: www.liferollson.org/hawaii.

I did in fact participate in my first They Will Surf Again event last September in La Jolla, CA.  It was a magical day and I can not express the feeling of gratitude and happiness I got from watching my little 3 year old niece surf and all the others as well. It wasn’t just about Maile. It was about helping those that are less fortunate than myself.  The look on their faces was worth more than anything I could ever buy and has permanently given my soul something to smile about. You can see that post by clicking here.

I have been very busy assisting in bringing They Will Surf Again to Hawaii. In fact the last couple months have been very LROish, with daily faxes, emails and phone calls. I am happy to say they are officially coming to Hawaii on April 30th, 2011 and will be held at White Plains Beach in Ewa Beach, Hi. Hollah people. This was a challenge, but it was done!  We will be having a fundraiser on the night before; Friday, April, 29th, 2011 to help raise money so LRO can continue these type of programs at no cost to participants. Stay tuned for details. It is for this reason I am offering an exclusive offer for all my Hawaii clients ONLY. Drum roll…………………..

$150.00 for any engagement, portrait, headshot, fashion, maternity, family or pet photo session. And, the best part is 100% will be donated to Life Rolls On. Yes, 100%!!!!  In theory, you are donating to an outstanding organization and I will take your photographs free of charge as a thank you. This is my way of giving back. I am limited the amount of people I can extend this offer to, so if you are interested, please get on the list by clicking here. I am so excited about this. This is a first and I have never offered such a special, but this is for an amazing organization. It is on a first come, first serve basis and there are only LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE. So, get on the list now by clicking here.

I’m also seeking volunteers who want to participate in helping for the first LRO They Will Surf Again in Hawaii. I am currently seeking volunteers to assist in the water and on land on the day of the event. I am also looking for help in collecting donations of water, food and raffle items. It is only through the generosity of friends and organizations that Life Rolls On is able to provide this program at no-cost to participants. Please let everyone you know about this event. We want to get 35 surfers (those in wheelchairs) and about 90 volunteers.

You will see the official flyer below. The little girl surfing is my 3 year old niece Maile at last years TWSA in LaJolla, CA. I’m excited to shoot this event again in April in Hawaii! Please join me in the support of Life Rolls On!

Once Brad greeted all the guests, exchanged hugs and kisses, he quickly was told to change into his party attire that Julie had ready for him. Yes, she had a classic polyester shirt with basketball players, black poly pants and a pair of glittered platform shoes. How awesome is that!  Guests mingled, chatted, snacked on some of the delicious hors d’oeuvres, which including a fondue spread with fruit, vegetables, bread, meatballs and more. Although I think the chocolate fondue bar had the upper hand. I mean who doesn’t love a chocolate fondue fountain with fresh strawberries, pineapple, cream puffs, rice crispies, macaroons, pretzels and more.

It was a great party and I thank the Burstin family for allowing me to photograph their special event.

Brad’s Surprise 40th Birthday Party from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

Everyone had to register by 8am at La Jolla Shores Beach. And, there wasn’t a peep of sun in the sky.  Instead it was a little foggy and a bit overcast; and, let’s say that the water was….. uh… freezing! However, that didn’t stop us from having an incredible day. Being surrounded and around such great people made it feel like it was 100 degrees! 5 teams were created and each surfer would have 30 minutes in the water. Volunteers would wheel the athletes to the shore in special mobi chairs,  carry them onto the surfboard, assist them out and help them catch some waves on special surfboards that allowed surfers to hold on. What I witnessed was priceless. Simply amazing. To see the joy and happiness on everyone’s face (surfers, families and volunteers) was a gift that I could never buy.  In fact, it was the greatest gift you could ever ask for.   Oh, my heart was smiling so big, I think it came out of my chest! It was purely magical. I would highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend you volunteer to any future event. I promise you, you will feel so fulfilled and really feel amazing. It’s incredibly rewarding and so gratifying to witness the happiness and joy on these beautiful faces.

Maile was assigned to team orange and scheduled to surf at 11:0o. She had to gear up with a bathing suit, followed by a wet suit, then a life vest, and topped off by her team orange jersey. When she was done, she looked like a fullback for the Oakland Raiders, ready for the big game! :-=) She is so tiny and her size 2 wetsuit was a bit big for her, but she was so anxious and excited to get in the water, she didn’t care about the layers and layers of attire on her little body. You could hear her saying, “I WANNA GO IN THE WATER!”. When it was her turn, all the volunteers carried her above the water like a princess, turned her around and let her ride a wave in. Maile doesn’t like water in her eyes, so we weren’t sure how well she would handle the splashing. I mean a little water from the bathtub could really put a her in a mood. But, after her first wave, she seemed fine, so they carried her out again and again and again. She caught about 7 waves before she came in. It was so cool. So cool….

Lunch rolled around and everyone took a break and had some good eats that included sandwiches, BBQ, chips, rice, salad, short ribs, teriyaki chicken and Ben Jerry’s ice cream. Yum, yum!  Soon after a quick lunch break, it was back in the water for the remaining surfers, who were lucky enough to catch some of the sun that decided to pop out during the last 30 minutes!

The event was so well put together and possible by so many incredible volunteers and sponsors and organizers.  A cute surf boutique shop Surf Diva in La Jolla came by and handed out some cute surf diva hats and donated 20% of all sales taken in at their surf shop yesterday to LRO. Give it up for Surf Diva!!!

I’d like to give a special thanks to:

Life Rolls On

Jesse Billauter

Kris Nakamura

Mobi Chair

KINDbars

Function Water

Popeyes Moving Co

Surf Diva

Sweet Treats

Lastly, a big MAHALO to all the volunteers who made this event possible. Thank you for being such incredible people and for giving such an incredible gift to those that are less fortunate than us. Your time, efforts and support is so appreciated. Thank you for fulfilling my niece’s dream of surfing and for allowing her such joy. Your actions will never be forgotten.  Thank you!!! And, to those that donate to Life Rolls On, your donations allow LRO to put on such great events and help countless individuals and families across the world. Much blessings to you all.

It was such an amazing day and I look forward to working with LRO more in the future. LIFE ROLLS ON ROCKS!

Here goes my little niece Maile on her way out to catch some waves! Chhheee-hoooooooooooooo

To see more photos, click play below:

They Will Surf Again La Jolla 2010 from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

My day started very early at 6:45am. Yes, SIX FORTY FIVE…AM. I don’t even remember the last time I got up before 7am on a Sunday. In fact, last Saturday I didn’t even go to bed until 8am! LOL. Anyway, when I arrived at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium, I came with camera in tow to capture this special day since we would be making history. I was amongst some incredibly amazing people who really gave me such a profound appreciation for what so many of us take for granted. WALKING.

Once Maile checked in, she was given a Superman – go forward dog tag. It was so symbolic, not just because Christopher Reeve was the original Superman, but all of these individuals are in fact heros. Of course big sister Malia was there to support Maile and to get in on all the action.

They had a few giveaways, motivational speeches and even a group of wheelchair dancers called CHAIRLES ANGELS.  Yes, you read right…dancers. These girls were professional dancers, all of whom had an accident of some sort years ago. They never knew each other before being wheelchair bound, but came together over the years and decided that nothing was going to stop them from dancing. They got up on stage and did a little routine for us…danced and showed us that life is really what you make of it. One of the girls sang a song, “I’m Alive” and it really makes you appreciate the small things in life. They were very inspirational and my little niece Maile looked on with such hope and joy, it really put a smile on my heart. So, the next time you are having a bad day or are stressed about something, remember, it could always be worse and be thankful for all the good you do have in your life. Don’t sweat the small stuff people, live life.

It was a rather short event, so quickly after the speeches and raffles, they wanted to get an aerial shot of all wheelchairs spelling out ADA (American with Disabilities Act). Maile was getting a little tired and was off to the side, but I wanted to make sure she was included in that historical photo, so I whisked her to the front row and placed her at the very end, so it would be easy to spot her when that photo is printed. She remained there until the photographer on the boom had 2 people move up to her row, so instead of being the tip, she is two chairs in. Still easily identifiable though. Psshh, photographers can be so demanding and bossy at times! LOL

After the group shot, they quickly lined everyone up to get the count of wheelchairs (which was 193, breaking the old record of 106).  But, remember…the record wasn’t just to count them in a line, it was for all wheelchairs in a moving line, so the clock didn’t start until each one was in motion. This took a little longer than anticipated, but once they got rolling, the clock started ticking and Maile wheeled her way into history. Once we broke the record, she was given a certificate and then notified we all had 15 minutes to get out of the stadium since there was an LA Dodger game starting soon. Then it was time to celebrate, so I insisted we go get some awesome cupcakes from Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. Wooo-hooo. Awesome day!