Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation Gears Up for BeneFiesta
Jul 14, 2024 09:56PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
The 2022 BeneFiesta - Photo via Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation.
The Manhattan Beach-based Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation is set to host its biggest fundraiser of the year - the BeneFiesta - on July 20, with plenty of special surprises in store.
This year's celebration will be particularly poignant, said Nancy Miller, because it will mark 20 years since the death of her son Jimmy, a popular surf promoter and teacher. Since Bali was one of Jimmy’s favorite surf destinations, she said, this year's fiesta theme will be “Bali Dreamland."

The BeneFiesta raises funds and awareness for the foundation's world-renowned and groundbreaking ocean therapy programs. Ocean therapy is an adaptive surfing program developed to assist populations dealing with trauma-induced mental and physical illness through group talk discussions led by licensed therapists coupled with surfing.
This year's fundraising efforts will target the foundation's
newest ocean therapy program supporting first responders, including police, fire, medics and dispatchers. The group has named the program FROPOWR - First Responders Oceanic Performance Optimization Wellness and Resiliency.
"Our FROPOWR program is
designed to build up first responders that are serving our community,
offer our appreciation and gratitude for their service, and hopefully
help relieve some stress and provide a resource and medium that has
helped us all cope with life through surfing," said JMMF CEO Andy Dellenbach.
Special Highlights at This Year's BeneFiesta
The "beach chic" BeneFiesta traditionally features food, music, dancing, and a live and silent auction, all held at a private home in Manhattan Beach. This year's BeneFiesta will be marked by several special highlights:
- Jim Lindberg of the South Bay band Pennywise will debut a song he wrote 20 years ago when he heard of Jimmy's passing. The song has never been performed before.
- Actor Ed Quinn, one of Jimmy’s best friends from Cal, found a song he and Jimmy wrote and recorded in Dreamland Beach in Bali. Quinn previously hadn't known that the theme of the BeneFiesta this year was also Bali Dreamland. Quinn will be premiering that song at the benefit.
- Erin and Hillary Condren (of Martha’s, Bottle Inn, and the Erin Condren lifestyle brand) will host the West Coast premiere of their new vodka brand, Stuga. BeneFiesta guests will be the first ones to taste and sample at the VIP reception and at the main event.
- Energy Muse Jewelry will be offering a bead bar, offering crystals and natural materials for participants to make their own bracelets.
- The surf van that was purchased through last year's fundraiser, honoring therapist and musician Kevin Sousa, will be on display at the event.
The program will also honor Ty Cukr, who will receive the Pure Surfing
Experience Award for his 20 years of support since launching the
foundation's Ocean Therapy program and his regular volunteering and
mentorship with veterans at the Camp Pendleton program; and Dennis Jarvis, Dickie O’Reilly, and the staff of SpyderSurf, who will receive the Legacy Award for their support over the years.
FROPOWR and The Work of the JMMF
The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation currently works with at risk/ at promise and abused children,
active-duty military, veterans, healthcare workers and special needs youth and young adults. Its staff of 20 currently includes seven ocean
therapists, beach managers, a program manager, safety coordinators, and
surf instructors that regularly lead surf instructions. The foundation also has a pool of more than 600 volunteers who have served and continue to serve at events.
JMMF is set to conduct a record-breaking 80+ ocean therapy sessions this year, helping hundreds of men, women, and children.
As for the new "FROPOWR" program, Dellenbach says the name was given purposefully to avoid using the standard term “therapy,” due to a persistent stigma around mental health issues in that field.
As for the new "FROPOWR" program, Dellenbach says the name was given purposefully to avoid using the standard term “therapy,” due to a persistent stigma around mental health issues in that field.
"We recognized that PTSD was virtually a guaranteed condition in the first responder line of work...but what we didn’t realize is how prevalent anxiety, depression, suicide - and
ideation - along with alcoholism and addiction is among this population," said Dellenbach. "We are learning that the situation is much more dire than we ever anticipated, but we also know that wellness programs like ocean therapy can help. The demand for FROPOWR sessions is booming, from San Diego to Ventura County and beyond. That is why this year, we are dedicating our funds raised to supporting our first responders."
ideation - along with alcoholism and addiction is among this population," said Dellenbach. "We are learning that the situation is much more dire than we ever anticipated, but we also know that wellness programs like ocean therapy can help. The demand for FROPOWR sessions is booming, from San Diego to Ventura County and beyond. That is why this year, we are dedicating our funds raised to supporting our first responders."
JMMF Named For Global Surfing Adventurer
The foundation's namesake, Jimmy Miller, was a Manhattan Beach surf
teacher and global surfing adventurer who spent his life sharing his
joy of the ocean with others. In Manhattan Beach, he founded what is now
Camp Surf, where he was dedicated to sharing his philosophy and the
method he developed for teaching surfing. After Miller tragically took
his own life in 2004, his family created the Jimmy Miller Memorial
Foundation to preserve his memory and share his love for the ocean with
others.
Since then, the JMMF pioneered and
formalized the concept of ocean therapy programs through surfing and
therapy sessions led by licensed therapists who guide pre- and post-
surfing "talking circles."
JMMF is currently the largest provider of ocean and surf therapy
programming in the world. It has continued to introduce new populations that have suffered from
some form of mental and/or physical trauma to the healing power of the
ocean.