Gambling on better water quality

June Casagrande

The Surfrider Foundation has found a way to turn vice into virtue.

People who come to Margaritaville on Saturday for the concoctions

will get to take part in a second guilty pleasure: “Casino Night.”

It’s more innocent than it seems. The players of the Vegas-style

games will compete for donated prizes instead of cash. At the same

time, they will be helping one of Newport-Mesa’s favorite causes.

“It’s all to help benefit water quality in the area,” said Ray

Halowski , a Surfrider Foundation spokesman, who concocted the event

with Margaritaville general manager Steve Pickford.

The proceeds will benefit Surfrider’s Teach and Test program,

which gives local schools the equipment and training to allow

students to test local waters for pollution.

“It lets them see for themselves what the water’s like and how

what we do on land affects the water,” Halowski said.

Saturday’s event will be short on the sermons but long on

excitement. Anyone who walks into the Coast Highway watering hole and

Mexican food restaurant can buy scrip to use in a number of different

casino games. Donated prizes including two skateboards signed by pro

boarder Tony Hawk, surfing lessons, surf movies on DVD, a surfboard

and other prizes.

“We’ve done stuff with Surfrider in the past, and we wanted to do

another event,” Pickford said. “This was perfect. It’s the perfect

way to have a good time while helping an organization that really is

making a difference.”