Trial Magazine

Brazilian jiujitsu, surfing the ocean waves, and southern cooking are just a few things that children can enjoy during a Surf Experience Day in Charleston, S.C., organized by the Mauli Ola Foundation. The West Coast-based nonprofit—founded in 2008 to help people living with genetic diseases—hosts a series of Surf Experience Days during the year on both coasts, bringing together professional surfers and kids with cystic fibrosis to surf and play in the ocean. Research has shown that inhaling concentrated saltwater mist (hypertonic saline) is a natural therapy that rehydrates the ­lining of the lungs and loosens the mucus buildup that occurs in people with cystic fibrosis.1

For Charleston attorney and surfer Stefan Feidler, volunteering with the foundation allows him to give back to his community and connect people from different parts of his life to help these children. A practitioner of jiujitsu, Feidler first got involved with the Mauli Ola Foundation after he learned about it from a jiujitsu supply vendor that donated proceeds to the organization. Feidler then offered to volunteer for the foundation’s annual Charleston event.

Feidler recruited fellow jiujitsu athletes to attend and asked a friend who owns a local southern BBQ eatery to provide catering, making the Charleston Surf Experience Day a unique event.

Feidler explained that his motivation in assisting with the foundation is similar to his approach to helping clients. “As a plaintiff attorney, it is my duty to ensure that my clients receive every possible resource and chance to beat their unfortunate situation,” Feidler said. “When you’re out there with these kids and their families, you see their struggle too. . . . The goal is to make sure that these children can put their health issues aside and have some fun.”

Committed to the foundation’s mission, Feidler continues to expand his involvement: He is helping create Mauli Ola’s East Coast chapter and hopes for a 2019 kickoff. Feidler was a 2017 Trial Lawyers Care Award finalist. The award recognizes the efforts of AAJ members and trial lawyer-affiliated organizations serving their communities. For more information, visit www.triallawyerscare.org.

Kristen A. Lango is the editorial assistant­ for Trial magazine.

Notes

1. See Cystic Fibrosis Found., Surf for CF 2018, https://tinyurl.com/ydc8zfyw.