An 11-year-old boy surfs waves to raise money for organizations: “Trying to help a lot of people...”

A fifth-grader from Brigantine, New Jersey, raised money for charity by surfing waves. Carter Doorley, 11, raised the money by surfing a wave for every $1 he got in the fundraiser. Carter learned to surf when he was five years old and used it to his advantage during the pandemic-induced lockdown. When neighborhood playgrounds, hockey arenas, and skate parks were closed, only beaches were accessible. Carter informed his mother that he planned to surf every day for 100 days in a row. Even after the 100 days, he kept going and on May 24, he will have surfed for 730 consecutive days.

He told PEOPLE, "I've been trying to help a lot of people. It's a lot of fun." Dawn Doorley, Carter's mother, tracks Carter's surfs on Instagram, @CarterCatchesWaves. Carter launched a fundraising campaign for the organization, Funny Farm Rescue & Animal Sanctuary on November 5, 2020, and vowed to surf a wave for every $1 contributed. Carter handed Laurie Zaleski, the creator of Funny Farm, a cheque for $320, many surf sessions later. 

Carter told KBTX, "I guess COVID because there was nothing else to do. And since there is nothing else to do, why not keep doing it. It’s fun. And I got all these great things from doing it so I’m just going to keep doing it." 

His mom said, "It just snowballed from there." He gathered 2,639 canned items for a local food bank, $560 for the True Spirit Coalition, $1,500 for SurfAid, $150 for Heart of Surfing (which provides free training to youngsters with autism and developmental difficulties), and $150 for the Humane Society of Atlantic County. He also gathered skateboards for his neighborhood skatepark and Valentine's Day cards for active military personnel. Carter even cleans up the trash that he sees on the beach or in the sea while surfing every day.

Carter also fundraised for children stranded in Ukraine. He raised $1,049 for Save the Children. His mother recalled the moment when he got to know of the war, "He was like, 'There's a war. That could be me. They're kids. That's so sad, mom. I want to raise money for the kids.'" 

Carter continues to surf even through snowstorms and hurricanes and his mother is concerned about his safety. Andrew, Carter's father, is a lieutenant with the Atlantic City Fire Department and a member of the Brigantine Beach Patrol. He assesses the waves, currents, and weather to ensure his son's safety. His mother said, "I am like having panic attacks, and he's like, 'One more. I'm fine. I'm fine.'" She added, "He just is extreme to the extremist extreme. He just loves being out there, and he's never scared."

Carter's objective is to do good and inspire other children to assist others. He said, "It feels good to help people. You're never too little to help, never too little to make a difference."