Surfers Healing × Luv Michael Returns to Ponquogue Beach for a 5th Year of Free Surfing, Big Cheers, and Community
Some kids wait their whole life to be cheered for. On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays, 150 children and young adults with autism will get exactly that — paddling out with professional surfers at no cost to their families, while roughly 600 parents, siblings, and neighbors cheer from the sand. For the fifth year running, Southampton’s own Luv Michael is bringing this day home to the East End.
Where It Started
Surfers Healing was founded by world-champion surfer Izzy Paskowitz and his wife Danielle after they discovered the ocean’s calming effect on their autistic son, Isaiah. Nearly thirty years later, Surfers Healing camps have taken roughly 150,000 children with autism surfing — one perfect day at a time, always free of charge.
“Surfing isn’t a cure for autism, but you’d be surprised at the difference a day at the beach can make,” says Izzy Paskowitz, founder of Surfers Healing. “Every child is beautiful and unique, and every child deserves a moment in the sun.”
Each September, that day comes to Ponquogue Beach. Professional surfers paddle out with each child, one at a time. Parents who were once told “never” watch a crowd of six hundred cheer for their kid. As Luv Michael puts it, there’s no other day like it out here.
By the Numbers
150 surfers on the autism spectrum
600 family members and neighbors on the sand
50+ volunteers who make the day run
$0 cost to every family, every year
5th year the event has been held on the East End
Meet the Hosts
Luv Michael is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 by two physicians — parents of an autistic young man named Michael. The organization builds what autistic adults need most and get least: a home, real work, and a community that understands them. Its work spans three areas.
Housing — Nine autistic adults currently live in three Luv Michael residences in Southampton, with a fourth home on the way. In December 2025, the Southampton Town Board voted unanimously to invest $630,000 in the next one.
Purpose — The Luv Michael team handcrafts friendship bracelets under the motto “One to Wear, One to Share,” including a special Surfers Healing × Luv Michael bracelet. Every pair sold funds the mission.
Education — Luv Michael’s education program has taught 60,000 students in 61 countries to be allies to autistic peers, and each September its annual conference gathers families, clinicians, and self-advocates in Southampton.
Every dollar raised beyond the day’s costs goes straight back to Luv Michael’s Southampton homes and programs. The families on that beach aren’t visitors for a day — they’re the community Luv Michael serves all year.
How Local Businesses Can Get Involved
This day costs about $53,000 to produce, and it runs on the generosity of neighbors, not corporate sponsors. In exchange for supporting the event, local businesses get their name on an event t-shirt worn all year, a table in the beachfront Sponsor Village, volunteer spots in the sand for their team, and visibility in front of six hundred neighbors who notice exactly who showed up.
Prefer to give what you do best? In-kind support is welcomed and recognized at the level of its value, whether donated, at cost, or somewhere in between. Current needs include:
Celebration Dinner for approximately 100 people (Tuesday, 9/15)
Welcome Dinner for approximately 50 people (Monday, 9/14)
Beach tents and tables
DJ and sound
T-shirts, flags, and signage
Photography
Ocean safety support
Coffee, breakfast, and water for 600 guests
To be featured on the event t-shirt, sponsor commitments are needed by Friday, August 28. Help of any kind, at any time, is welcome — Canoe Place Inn & Cottages and Southampton Bath & Tennis Club are already generously supporting the 5th Annual.
Stand With Us on the Beach
A day like this takes a village. If your business would consider helping, at any level and in any way, Luv Michael would be glad to come to you — and there’s a place in the sand for your whole team.
Contact Mark Biondi at mbiondi@luvmichael.com to get involved.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 · Ponquogue Beach, 280 Dune Road, Hampton Bays, NY
Luv Michael is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 81-2205081), and every gift is tax-deductible. See you at the beach.
