Sports San Diego’s Paddle Out for Life

August 30, 2026 | 8AM PST | 7:30AM PST Arrival
Kellogg Park, La Jolla Shores | San Diego, CA

Honoring Organ Donation

Sports San Diego’s Paddle Out for Life honors those individuals who are no longer with us but gave the ultimate gift of life; additionally, it drives awareness for the critical need for organ and tissue donation. Inspired to carry on this tradition after hosting the Transplant Games in 2022, Sports San Diego continues the legacy of a paddle out as a testament to the incredible bond between sports and community.

Our fifth annual Sports San Diego Paddle Out for Life takes place Sunday, August 30th, 2026, at Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores. Participation is free. To register to participate, click the button below and sign our participant waiver.

More than 100,000 individuals nationally are on waiting lists for organ donations and transplants, with 85% of them waiting for a kidney. If just one in 500 individuals eligible to donate a kidney donated, there would no longer be a waiting list.

If you would like to participate in Sports San Diego’s Paddle Out for Life, please complete the form at the bottom of this page; participation is free. You’re also welcome to attend the event and watch the ceremony from the shore as we honor and remember organ donors.

Participant Waiver

Event Details

Location: Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores
Participant Arrival: 7:30AM PST
Participant Cost: Free
Paddle Out Start: 8:oo a.m.
Learn More: Living Kidney Donation
Learn More: Organ Donation

Thank You to Our Paddle Out Partner, Sharp Healthcare

About Organ Donation

Living Donation

Individuals who are willing and healthy enough can donate a kidney to a patient whose own kidneys are no longer functioning. While many patients wait years for a deceased kidney donation, living donors are able to make an immediate impact on another person’s life.

“Donating a kidney was one of the greatest and most impactful experiences of my life. If I could do it again, I would in a heartbeat.”- Mark Neville, CEO, Sports San Diego.

To learn more about living kidney donation, please visit the National Kidney Registry website.

Deceased Organ and Tissue Donation

The Donate Life America website details organs and tissues that can be donated from a deceased person including hearts, lungs, corneas, bone, and much more. The impact of organ donation cannot be understated:

You can register to be an organ and tissue donor in California by:

Clicking “Yes” at the DMV when applying for a driver’s license or identification card
Going online to registerme.org

Donor Stats

Over 100,000 people nationwide are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants.
85% of people on the waiting list are in need of a kidney transplant
If one in every 10,000 people eligible in the US to donate a kidney chose to donate, the waiting list would be gone.

National Kidney Registry

Paddle Out Ceremonies

A paddle out is a traditional Hawaiian tribute to the life and legacy of people who passed away. It is a floating memorial where surfers and other water sports participants honor someone they cherished.
Sports remind us of life’s most profound gift—the ability to move, to compete, and to fully embrace each moment. At the Transplant Games, we witnessed that gift renewed, as transplant recipients returned to the field, the pool, and the track with courage and joy. Their journeys revealed the deeper power of sport—not just to inspire competition, but to cultivate compassion, empathy, and unity. In the end, the greatest victories weren’t marked by medals, but by acts of kindness, resilience, and shared humanity.