The Ratopia Charity Fund was established in August of 2005 after a local surfer, 22 year-old Denny Bales, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The Ratopia Charity Fund’s initial goals were to support Denny, increase community awareness of leukemia and lymphoma and to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The vehicle for meeting these goals was the Ratopia Surf Classic. The 7th Annual Ratopia Surf Classic took place in December of 2011 and was successful in hosting over 120 surfers and generating $100,000 in donations to the LLS to date.

The mission of the Ratopia Charity Fund continues with the particular emphasis of inspiring the surfing community and South Bay residents to support the LLS. The LLS uses these funds to help cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma, while improving the quality of life of patients and their families.