CR Surf Travel Co. delivers donated books to Costa Rican kids

All the Way to the Ocean, written by Joel Harper, teaches kids not to pollute the ocean.

July 5th, 2008 – On a recent surf trip in Costa Rica, Greg Gordon, the owner of CR Surf Travel Co. – www.crsurf.com – delivered 10 new copies of the book, All the Way to the Ocean, donated by the author Joel Harper. The goal was to help raise awareness about why it is bad to litter and how to teach young kids not to do it. The book tells the story of two skateboarding friends who talk about littering while playing in their neighborhood. The colorful illustrations drawn by Mark Spusta were meant to show kids the effects of pollution on marine life.

The funds used to translate the book into Spanish came from the Save our Seas Foundation. Their mission is – “To want to make the planet a healthier place by helping to preserve the oceans that we love and respect. Its purpose is to implement and support diverse programs of education, protection, and conservation all around the world.”

Mr. Gordon gave the books to the Playa Dominical elementary school’s first grade class and then read the book aloud while the students shared copies to read. Afterwards he discussed with the group about which types of fish and animals lived off their coastline and what they could do to protect them. Already the school leads a monthly beach cleanup, helps with a sea turtle egg hatchery, and holds an environmental festival each year.

Laird Hamilton wrote in the foreword for the book – “We have a great responsibility to protect the ocean and the wonderful creatures that live there. If we all do just a little, together we can give a lot.”

If you want to help get more copies of the book translated into Spanish and donated to schools in Costa Rica, then contact info@crsurf.com. Copies in English can be purchased on the CR Surf Shop at www.crsurfshop.com. For more information about the book, check www.allthewaytotheocean.com and to learn more about the Save Our Seas Foundation, go to www.saveourseas.com.