In 1994, The Long Beach Boat and Ski Club, organizers of the Catalina Water Ski Race, created “Kids Day”. The Club’s goal was to create an event to “give back” to the community that had supported the race for so many years. Now, two decades later, this highly anticipated event hosts over 800 special needs children and their families for an exciting and memorable day at the beach.
Kid’s Day welcomes mentally and physically challenged children from local facilities to experience exhilarating aquatic sports in Long Beach’s Marine Stadium. The participants enjoy a summer beach day with unique opportunities to ride in a speedboat, get pulled on an inner-tube, drive a jet ski, and operate kayaks and paddle-boards. Boats and entertainment are provided along with a beach barbecue while volunteers aid in making the event a truly unforgettable day for all. Meet our sponsors.
Kid’s Day is now operated by CSR Children’s Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charity run by a dedicated Board of Directors. The Foundation works with local hospitals, specialty caregivers and other non-profit organizations to provide these children and their families, with an experience that they might not otherwise be able to enjoy. Kid’s Day provides an escape for these families from the challenges that they endure daily caring for a child with special needs. For many of these children, this is a chance to get out of a hospital bed in exchange for a day on the beach with their families.
Kid’s Day is the experience of a lifetime for the fortunate children and their families that are able to attend. While Kid’s Day is the precursor to the World’s Greatest Water Ski Race, this event celebrates and crowns hundreds of winners.