{"id":67883,"date":"2026-08-05T06:41:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T12:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/?p=67883"},"modified":"2026-08-05T06:41:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T12:41:59","slug":"sayulita-life-gives-back-august-donation-goes-to-mar-y-vida-surf-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/sayulita-life-gives-back-august-donation-goes-to-mar-y-vida-surf-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"Sayulita Life Gives Back: August Donation Goes to Mar y Vida Surf Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every month, Sayulita Life sets aside $5,000 to invest in a local organization doing meaningful work in our community. This August, that donation went to Mar y Vida Surf Camp \u2014 a program that’s been putting local kids on boards, in the water, and on a path toward more confidence for the past eight years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We sat down with the program’s founder to talk about how Mar y Vida got started, what a typical camp day looks like, and why Sayulita’s businesses keep showing up for it year after year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it started<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Risa, the founder first came to Sayulita in January 2011 for what was supposed to be a short work trip \u2014 and never really left. Mar y Vida launched in 2018 as a way of giving back to a town that had given so much in return. That first summer had its share of growing pains, but it worked, and many of the original sponsors are still on board today. A special mention goes to Tania Castro, who has been part of the program since day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp has evolved since then, too. It started as an opportunity for kids with strong grades coming from underprivileged homes. Today, it runs on a more inclusive model \u2014 teachers at Damian Carmona select students who show promise, regardless of their background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A day at camp<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No two days look exactly alike. Some mornings start with water safety and rescue training, others with art or a different kind of adventure. Surf happens every single day. This year, shifting ocean conditions meant moving surf sessions to midday instead of the usual morning slot \u2014 an unplanned lesson in patience for everyone involved. One of the standout days each summer is the trip out on the Ally Cat to explore the Bay, a highlight the founder looks forward to every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lifeguards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bah\u00eda de Banderas lifeguards have partnered with Mar y Vida since 2018, bringing certified rescue training and equipment that a regular counselor simply couldn’t provide. Some of the same lifeguards have been with the program long enough to start recognizing familiar faces \u2014 this year, one thought he spotted a former camper, only to realize it was the kid’s younger brother. Both, as it turns out, excellent students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes a village<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mar y Vida runs on community support, and this year’s list of contributors reads like a love letter to Sayulita:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Don Pedros<\/strong> donates two meals a week \u2014 always a camper favorite<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Tierra Viva<\/strong> provides a meal that includes the lifeguard staff<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Mi Chula<\/strong> offers up beach space with bathrooms and showers, and stepped up this year to provide the pool for water safety training<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Las Bayadas<\/strong> supplied bayadas for the gift bags<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Pinche Mexico Te Amo<\/strong> contributed goodies for the gift bags<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ally Cat<\/strong> offers a major discount on the Bay excursion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Sayulita Life’s August donation will go toward transportation, gift bag goodies, cake for the closing ceremony, tips for the Ally Cat staff, and umbrella rentals in Punta de Mita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Building a team<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some staff members have been with Mar y Vida since the very first summer, alongside newer faces each year. While volunteers make up much of the team, the founder has learned that certain roles \u2014 surf instructors, drivers, and venue staff \u2014 need to be paid positions. Every staff member is chosen with care, for people who show up ready to do the work with joy and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A kid worth mentioning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Every year brings stories worth telling, but this year one camper stood out: Angel. Described as “a gem of a human in the making,” Angel experienced the Ally Cat for the first time this summer, and it clearly left a mark. He now knows there’s a board waiting for him at Mar y Vida \u2014 and if he keeps chasing that feeling, the founder has already offered to help him find a sponsor for one of his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What kids take home<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Beyond water safety skills, the goal is something bigger: helping kids understand that their community sees them and values what they’re already achieving. The hope is that campers leave with more self-confidence, a stronger desire to give back, and a deeper connection to the ocean \u2014 along with a sense of responsibility for protecting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Asked about the hardest part of keeping the program alive for eight years, the answer was simple: nothing, really. Sayulita always shows up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Camp may be over for the summer, but the door isn’t closed \u2014 the founder is already looking into arranging additional surf lessons for this year’s alumni. Anyone interested in supporting that effort, or Mar y Vida more broadly, is encouraged to reach out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A huge thank you to everyone who supports Mar y Vida \u2014 and to everyone who shows up for community programs like it. It matters.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Every month, Sayulita Life sets aside $5,000 to invest in a local organization doing meaningful work in our community. This August, that donation went to Mar y Vida Surf Camp […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":67885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature-post","category-sayulita-community"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67886,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67883\/revisions\/67886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sayulitalife.com\/sayulero\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}