Holiday Tradition of Surfing Santas Joins Forces with Local Charity to Support Saving Lives

COCOA BEACH, Fla. – The annual Surfing Santas event in Cocoa Beach brought more than holiday cheer to thousands of attendees this year — it also carried a life-saving mission.

Partnering with the nonprofit Who We Play For, the event raised awareness about sudden cardiac death and offered free CPR training to participants.

Founded in 2007, Who We Play For was born out of tragedy. Rafe Maccarone, a healthy and talented athlete, collapsed and died from sudden cardiac arrest caused by a detectable heart condition. His father, Ralph Maccarone, said a simple EKG screening could have saved his son’s life.

“Rafe passed away on Dec. 1, 2007,” Maccarone shared. “Had he been given an EKG heart screening, his condition would have been found 95 percent of the time. We had no reason to think anything was wrong. He was a healthy 15-year-old elite athlete.”

Since then, Who We Play For has made it their mission to provide affordable EKG screenings for young athletes, helping to detect heart conditions early. The organization has screened tens of thousands of students across Florida, identifying hundreds of heart abnormalities that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

For families like the Gibsons, the organization’s work has been life-changing. James Gibson, a high school soccer player, suffered cardiac arrest while working during his senior year.

“I coded for three minutes,” James recalled. “CPR kept me alive long enough for help to arrive. It was that one screening as a freshman that told us I had a bigger issue, and it allowed those around me to act quickly when I needed it most.”

James’ father, Jonathan Gibson, described the harrowing experience.

“No dad wants to see that,” he said. “As I got to the scene, I didn’t know what to do, but I just prayed. That screening saved his life by giving us the knowledge we needed to act.”

Taylor Stewart, a 19-year-old cheerleader, also credits Who We Play For with saving her life.

“I had an EKG screening this summer, and it came back that I had a life-threatening heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome,” Taylor explained. “We were shocked because I had no symptoms. That test changed everything.”

At this year’s Surfing Santas event, Who We Play For provided free CPR training to thousands of attendees, aiming to empower the community with the tools needed to save lives.

“Surfing Santas has been an absolute honor to partner with,” said Shawn Sima, Impact Director of Who We Play For. “We want to teach every single person on this beach how to save a life.”

Maccarone emphasized the progress the nonprofit has made.

“We’ve passed numerous legislative laws here in Florida and nationally,” he said. “There’s still work to do, but Florida is leading the way.”

For families like the Gibsons and individuals like Taylor, the organization’s efforts mean everything.

“It’s not just about sports,” Jonathan Gibson said. “It’s about life.”

With the support of events like Surfing Santas, Who We Play For continues to expand its reach, making EKG screenings more accessible to young athletes nationwide.

For more information about Who We Play For and how you can schedule a screening, click here.