Join Us for an Adaptive Surfing Event July 28th at Far Rockaway Beach!

Every year hundreds of volunteers, people of all ages with spinal cord injuries and other mobility disabilities, and entire families, come together for an epic day in the ocean. Founded by world champion quadriplegic surfer Jesse Billauer, Life Rolls On is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury. 

They Will Surf Again is an annual, free adaptive surfing event at Beach and 67th Street in Rockaway Beach organized by Life Rolls On. We are very proud to be one of the official sponsors of this incredible event via the INA Fund. The INA Fund is a nonprofit established by attorneys at our office in the memory of Ina Cangiano, the late mother of Skyer Law partner Greg Cangiano, who dedicated her life to working with special needs children as a guidance counselor.

Many of our lawyers and staff volunteer for this exciting event each year. And there is still time to register as a volunteer or as an adaptive surfer! Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Please consult the FAQ for Adaptive Surfers page for more information for participants. Registration closes on July 18th.

Riding the Waves

by Regina Skyer 

Two years ago, Skyer Law attorney and partner Greg Cangiano lost his mother Ina Hurwitz Cangiano to a short but hard battle with cancer. Ina was only 67 and her death was a tragedy for all who knew her. She was not only a loving and devoted mother, wife, grandmother, and friend, but she was also a school guidance counselor for 33 years who worked in low-income neighborhoods at NYC public schools.

When Ina died, her family and our law firm decided to establish the INA Fund – a non-profit charitable fund in her name.  Ina's professional life was devoted to making the world better for the children she worked with, and she accomplished this, but she was taken from us far too early; she had work left to do.  

We launched the INA Fund on July 8th by sponsoring They Will Surf Again, a free annual adaptive surfing event at Rockaway Beach, which was Ina’s hometown. Over 200 volunteer surfers, including members of our staff, assisted 80 disabled children, teenagers, and adults in the ocean using adaptive surfboards. My son Josh also led a team made up of volunteer students from his martial arts school (Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Brooklyn Heights).  The joy these athletes experienced as they rode the waves and were cheered by hundreds of onlookers was boundless.

The weather was perfect; the water cool, but not cold. This uplifting day was a gift for everyone who gathered on the beach.

When explaining this event to my young grandchildren who attended, I told them that while not everyone goes through life with arms and legs that work, or with the ability to communicate in the same way, or with the a brain that thinks in the same way, that the smell of the ocean, the sound of waves crashing, and the feel of cool water washing over you on a hot day—these things can and should be shared.

Join Us for an Adaptive Surfing Event July 8th + Introducing the INA Fund!

On Saturday, July 8th, please join us, along with the hundreds of volunteers and people with disabilities of all ages, to participate in They Will Surf Again, a free adaptive surfing event at Beach 69th Street in Rockaway Beach. This highly anticipated event is co-organized by Wheeling Forward and Life Rolls On. Most of our lawyers and staff plan to be there -- and some of us will even be in wetsuits!

There is still time to register to volunteer or to participate as a surfer. The more people who volunteer, the more people who can participate! Surfing experience is not necessary, but all volunteers must be at least 18 years old. They Will Surf Again provides adaptive surfboards and beach-transfer wheelchairs. All volunteers need to provide is their own wetsuit, fins (for deep water volunteers), and towels. Surfers will need to bring their own wetsuit, lifejacket, and towel. Wetsuits can be rented from local surf shops. Lunch and snacks are provided to all.

We are very proud to be one of the official sponsors of this incredible event via the INA Fund. The INA Fund is a nonprofit recently established by attorneys at our office in the memory of Ina Cangiano, the late mother of Skyer Law partner Greg Cangiano. Ina Cangiano dedicated her life to working with special needs children as a guidance counselor. Regina Skyer has directed all proceeds from the sale of her 2015 book, How to Survive Turning Five, to the fund. More details to come as we plan our official launch later this year. Sponsorship of They Will Surf Again is the fund’s first gift, and we couldn’t be more proud!