The annual Long Beach Halloween Witches Paddle took place in Alamitos Bay on Sunday, Oct. 26 — the sixth time the Long Beach witches have participated in a tradition that started in Morro Bay a dozen years ago.
The Morro Bay Witches Paddle started in 2013 as a birthday celebration with a group of about 20 people. It’s now grown into an event that attracts hundreds of people, according to KSBY, a Central Coast news station.
Locally, about a dozen witches, warlocks and one dog started their paddle at 3:30 p.m. at 61st Place on the peninsula.
The participants of the annual Long Beach Halloween Witches Paddle, which took place in Alamitos Bay on Sunday, Oct. 26, pose for a photo afterward. (Photo courtesy of Vince Plodzien)
Paddler Kris Plodzien during the annual Long Beach Halloween Witches Paddle on Sunday, Oct. 26. (Photo courtesy of Vince Plodzien)
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The participants of the annual Long Beach Halloween Witches Paddle, which took place in Alamitos Bay on Sunday, Oct. 26, pose for a photo afterward. (Photo courtesy of Vince Plodzien)
“We went through the canals in Naples and played Halloween-themed music,” Kris Plodzien wrote in a text.
Boaters, beachgoers and residents laughed and waved as the group paddled around the bay.
In Long Beach, several groups host their own paddles, so this one had fewer participants than in previous years, said paddler Lisa Potiker.
Charity Regatta
The 2025 Halloween Charity Regatta took place on Saturday, Oct. 25.
The Charity Regatta tradition began in 1987 when local yacht club commodores decided it was time to give back to the community. The first regatta was held in 1990, and since then, the clubs have consistently raised funds and participated in various events to support The Children’s Clinic of Long Beach.
Dominic Meo III, chair of the 2025 Halloween Charity Regatta, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 25. (Photo by David Murray)
Mike Van Dyke, staff commodore of both Long Beach and Alamitos Bay yachts clubs, serves as chair of the board for the clinic — which his grandfather founded in 1939.
This year’s regatta chair was Dominic Meo III, a chemical engineer who holds multiple patents. Meo has been sailing and racing sailboats for most of his life, having grown up in Marblehead, Massachusetts; he started sailing at age 10.
The clubs have continued supporting The Children’s Clinic through this regatta, pancake breakfast and swap meet, ensuring that the money raised goes directly to the clinic’s benefit.
“We raised over $1,000 for charity, proof that spooky season comes with a generous spirit,” Meo said. “Huge shoutout to our regatta chair, volunteers, staff, and everyone who helped turn the club into a festive haunt, full of jack-o’-lanterns, jibes, and joyful vibes.”
The Saturday of the regatta was also the annual TCC Family Health Beach Walk and Flourishing Families Festival, which included a 5K Fundraising Walk for Health along Shoreline Aquatic Park.
Last year, TCC provided the following services: Provided care for more than 40,000 patients through 175,000 medical and behavioral health visits via both telehealth and in-person to all ages and almost 1,800 homeless people.
It also distributed more than 1 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables through free weekly farmers markets and drive-thru food pantries, as well as food vouchers and much-needed resources such as diapers and other concrete needs.
To make a donation, visit TCC’s website, tccfamilyhealth.org, or call TCC’s development department at 562-264-4648.
Kid’s Day
After 11 years of serving as the chair of the Catalina Ski Race Children’s Foundation, Jody Campbell will step down.
“It has been an incredible honor to work alongside such dedicated board members and volunteers,” he wrote in a letter to supporters, “all united by a shared commitment to enriching the lives of the special-needs children and their families through Kid’s Day.”
Thanks to Campbell’s leadership, the group developed the CSR Children’s Foundation. During the past decade, it successfully formed a nonprofit, held Poker Runs and fundraising events, created a website, social media platforms, hosted annual Holiday Boat tours, and became financially stable, according to board members.
The group welcomed more than 8,000 children/families at Kid’s Day, and were recognized as the Long Beach Aquatic Capital of America’s Organization of the Year. Under Campbell’s watch, Kid’s Day grew in providing positive watersport experiences for special needs children and their families.
Randy Whitacre will become the new chair and Campbell will remain as a board member.