Free surf camp held for alopecia and cancer survivors | Children

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WECT) - Saturday, the second annual Aloha Charity Surf Camp for children and adults affected by Alopecia and Cancer was held at Wrightsville Beach.

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition that results in hair loss on the scalp and can progress to complete hair loss throughout the body.  To date, there is no cure for this condition and it affects over 5 million people alone in the United States. Although Alopecia Areata is not life threatening, it is definitely life altering to the people and families affected.

At the age of 17, Rick Civellis, the founder of the WB Surf Camp, was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, and the disease caused him  to lose his hair.

"I lost the majority of my head hair in less than a week, so I just shaved my head. As a surfer, the most important thing to me was getting into the ocean to surf. I want to share my passion of surfing and the amazing confidence building and healing powers of the ocean with others affected by Alopecia and bring a smile to their face. If I was not a surfer, I'm not sure how I would have dealt with it", said Rick.

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