<div><strong>Spanish/Español here: </strong><em><a href="https://www.monicamesadasi.com/surf-scholarship-fund-espanol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.monicamesadasi.com/surf-scholarship-fund-espanol" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.monicamesadasi.com/surf-scholarship-fund-espanol</a></a> </em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Why we’re creating the Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund:</strong>
</div>
<div>The Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund was born from a mission of love, service, and upliftment. During my recent time in Colombia, I witnessed the incredible spirit of young surfers rising from poverty and hardship. Their devotion, humility, and discipline opened something in me; a clear calling to support these boys in a real and long-term way.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This fund supports young Colombian athletes who lack basic resources but carry extraordinary talent, heart, and potential.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Meet Oscar, the first Scholarship recipient</strong>
</div>
<div>Oscar is a 16-year-old surfer from Cartagena, Colombia who just won a local competition and earned the opportunity of a lifetime: representing Colombia at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador in September.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This is the kind of moment that changes everything; the breakthrough that opens doors and shows a young person their dreams are possible. But Oscar grew up in extreme poverty with almost no support at home. These are still his realities today. Without our help, he cannot afford to go.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Oscar trains every single day with unwavering discipline. He shows up with humility, hope, and a heart full of dreams despite facing challenges most of us will never know.  When he qualified for Worlds, my whole body lit up.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But the costs: airfare, lodging, meals, competition fins and other equipment, transportation, and travel essentials, are simply too high for his family and community. This is why the Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund was born.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Your contribution serves two powerful purposes:</strong>
</div>
<div>1. Gets Oscar to El Salvador in September to compete on the world stage and represent his country with pride.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>2. Contribute to the Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund to support future young Colombian surfers rising from poverty: boys with extraordinary talent and heart who lack basic resources but carry limitless potential.
</div>
<div>This is more than one competition. This is a movement of love, and Oscar is our first scholarship recipient.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>How you can help</strong>
</div>
<div>Suggested contribution: $25–$100 (any amount helps, larger gifts deeply welcomed)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li><strong>$25 —</strong> <strong>Wave of Support</strong>: Every gift helps Oscar travel and compete
</li>
<li><strong>$50 — Meals &amp; Essentials</strong>: Covers food and daily surf needs
</li>
<li><strong>$100 — Competition Support</strong>: Helps cover fees and travel essentials
</li>
<li><strong>$250 — Travel Booster</strong>: Supports airfare, lodging, and transportation
</li>
<li><strong>$500+ — Champion Sponsor</strong>: Significantly funds travel + equipment and seeds the scholarship fund
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>What you'll receive
</div>
<ul>
<li>Updates on Oscar's performance in Peru
</li>
<li>Photos, videos, and behind-the-scenes moments
</li>
<li>News about future competitions and scholarship recipients
</li>
<li>Ongoing impact updates
</li>
<li>Opportunities to support future young athletes
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>The heart behind this fund — Cheyne’s Legacy</strong>
</div>
<div>The Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund is born from something deeply personal. It is a living tribute to my son, Cheyne, who passed away seven years ago.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Cheyne had a beautiful, tender soul — sensitive, creative, funny, and full of dreams. One of those dreams was to surf. Growing up in Colorado, he didn’t have much access to the ocean, but he kept a surfboard close like a symbol of possibility. He imagined the day he would get to live his surf dream. That day never came — and for years, I have been searching for a meaningful way to honor his life, his light, and his dream.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>When I began sponsoring a few young surfers in Colombia, it started as something small — supporting them for a single contest. But very quickly, it grew into something bigger. I could feel Cheyne’s presence guiding me, whispering, “Mom, let this be bigger.”
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>That’s when I realized:
</div>
<div>This is the project my heart has been waiting for. A way to pour love back into the world in Cheyne’s name. A way to help other young dreamers achieve what he never had the chance to do. A way to transform loss into purpose, and grief into a wave that rises and carries others forward.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This fund is Cheyne’s legacy — a tribute to his spirit, his smile, his dreams — and a blessing to every young surfer whose life it touches.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/97208843_1764612211946396_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>100% of funds go directly to athlete travel, gear, competitions, and training and help build long-term opportunities for future athletes.
</div>

Natalie Vergara

Ami Rutledge

Kristen Maki

Michelle Cowell

peter goodman

Kristin cooper-gulak

Victoria Morton

Tricia Gourley

Julia Przybilka

ankur sansanwal

Andrew Cox

Dana Hermocillo

Emily Crohare

Daniela Chimini

Anonymous

Tyler Lucas

Amy Conway

Colleen Autman

Jody Dinan

Support Oscar and the Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

be_supporter_comments_enabled_supported_funds

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Just $613$ to go! Make an impact.

Support Oscar and the Soul on Fire Surf Scholarship Fund

Just $613 to go!
Make an impact.