Today’s Solutions: December 16, 2025

Sunnydale is the location of the largest housing project in San Francisco, and arguably one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. Gangs are prevalent, shootings a regular occurrence, and the children of Sunnydale have it as hard as any in an inner city neighborhood. Big Dog Surf Camp, a summer camp located just north of San Francisco, started an organization called The Ripple Effect with one goal in mind: to help inner city kids have fun.
Marin based surf coach Ian Glover teamed up with surfboard shaper Tim Gras, and filmmaker Adam Warmington to create The Ripple Effect- a community organization whose goal is simply to show inner city kids a good time. “I don’t want to pretend like I know what these kids need to make their lives better,” Glover explains in a short film shot by Micro Documentaries, “There’s professionals working down there with them. I know how to go to the beach and have a good time I can share that. It’s going to make them feel their age, if only for a day.”
Proof Lab, a Marin County surf shop donated all the supplies and equipment to The Ripple Effect, and Glover’s summer camp Big Dog is responsible for donating the instructions. Proof lab and Big Dog Surf camp are working with The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco to try and give more kids the chance to catch some big waves. Visit their rally.org page to donate money that will help fund their next outing.
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