VIDEO: Paddleboarders compete in South Surrey fundraiser
Published 2:38 pm Friday, July 24, 2026
Plenty of paddleboarders gathered to compete for a good cause in South Surrey Thursday, in Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation’s annual Champion of the Crescent fundraiser.
Held each year to support child and youth mental health programs and efforts, paddleboarders joined teams and vied for a chance to win the coveted Champion of the Crescent trophy in a fast-paced, elimination-style relay race.
Presented by Ellis Don, the charity event is now in its eighth year, and attracts competitive paddleboarders from all over the local community, including Surrey Fire Services members, who are perennial champions at the event.
After Indigenous drummers opened the event with a performance, Surrey Hospitals Foundation chief development officer Maria Faccio introduced herself as master of ceremonies and thanked everyone for coming.
“Today we unite for a cause close to all of our hearts — supporting youth mental health in Surrey and in the South Fraser region,” she said.
Surrey Hospitals Foundation president and CEO Nicole Robson also thanked everyone for being there to support mental health in young people in the region.
“I want to thank you all for coming out today. I think we know why we’re all here, and that’s to beat the firefighters,” she quipped, to laughter from attendees. “OK, I’m just kidding. Or not … thank you for coming together for this important cause to really help youth mental health,” Robson said. “What you may not realize is one in four kids in B.C. deal with a mental health crisis or issue. And it starts really young.”
More than $1.5 million dollars has been raised through the event since it started eight years ago, she shared.
“In Surrey — what is about to be the largest (B.C.) city with 30 per cent of our population under the age of 20, you can understand why it’s important to invest in the services here.”
Chief operating officer and executive vice president construction Western Canada at Ellis Don David McFarlane also spoke.
“Let’s have a lot of fun. Just remember why we’re here. We’re here for the kids, but we’re also here to raise money to help with the programs that we can provide at Surrey Hospitals Foundation,” he said. “So let’s have a great day.”
In total, 25 teams of paddlboarders raised more than $213,500 in support of regional youth mental health programs at Surrey Memorial Hospital, according to the SMFH website.
Visit surreyhospitalsfoundation.com/paddle2026 to learn more about Champion of the Crescent.