Switchfoot's Surfing, Concert Series Raises Teen Homelessness Awareness

By Josephine Vivaldo, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, June 16, 2011

Switchfoot is getting ready for their seventh annual Bro-Am surf contest and beach concert this weekend in their hometown – San Diego.

The Grammy Award-winning band is again hoping to raise awareness about homelessness among young people while raising support for StandUp For Kids, a national organization that is dedicated to at-risk and homeless kids.

“Last year we raised over $130,000. That was mind-blowing to us, and we hope to raise more,” Switchfoot’s bassist, Tim Foreman, told The Christian Post. “To say that if we didn't raise that amount it would be failure, that's something we are very reluctant to say because the awareness that it is generating triggers what these kids are going through.”

The annual event has so far raised more than $400,000 for StandUp.

David Bakelman, CEO for StandUp For Kids, said in a statement, “StandUp For Kids is again proud to be chosen as the recipient of the proceeds from this year's Bro-Am. Jon, Tim, Chad, Jerome and Drew show the true commitment of impacting homeless youth in Southern California. They have shown a tireless effort to help homeless youth, one at a time, and are an inspiration to our volunteers and homeless youth."

Foreman noted that homeless kids didn’t choose their situation and letting them be kids for one day without having to worry about their next meal or where they are going to sleep is what they’re aiming for on Saturday.

“All financial goals aside this is a chance where these kids can breathe deeply and know that they are appreciated and then the mission would be accomplished,” Foreman articulated.

“The highlight of the event for me is seeing layers of worry abandoning their faces,” Foreman emphasized.

Joining Switchfoot on Saturday will be The Howls, The Romany Rye, and The Silent Comedy. In addition to the beach event, there will be an after-party at the Belly-Up Tavern, nearby Solana Beach where Goo Goo Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik, Fiction Family and Little Hurricane will perform.

Band members will also participate in the surf contest, running from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and compete against pro-surfers such as Tom Curren and Evan Slater.

Admission to the beach event is free. Funds will be raised from sponsorships, beach vendors, an Auction Night Soiree (set for Thursday) and the after-party. Volunteers will also collect donations through iPhones enabled with card readers on hand.

Switchfoot recently finalized their eighth studio record, Vice Verses, scheduled for release on September 27.

The title track “Afterlife” can summarize the heartbeat of the record, Foreman shared. The song says “why would I wait until I die to become alive. I'm ready now; I'm not waiting for the afterlife.”

“It's about seizing the opportunity set before us instead of waiting for life to happen,” said Foreman. “We don’t claim to have it all figured out but we are excited to explore these questions that we have in these songs with the knowledge that we serve a big God and there is no question too big for us to ask.”

The 7th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am will take place at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, Calif., starting at 7 a.m. Ultimate Ears, the official music partner of the event, will be premiering clips from Switchfoot’s upcoming album. Encinitas is the third stop in the band's summer tour, which kicked off on Wednesday in Stone Mountain, Ga.