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Get Out Girl Surf and Paddle Jam raises money for mental health while empowering women

The event donates every dollar and donation received to Operation Get Out, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Get Out Girl Surf and Paddle Jam is an all-female fundraising event to not only help empower women and girls but to raise money to promote positive mental health through the outdoors.

For the ninth year in a row, the Get Out Girl Surf and Paddle Jam took place in Steiner Ranch to help promote positive mental health through water-based activities. Over the course of the two days, participants learned how to wake surf and paddle board on the lake. 

Although registration for the in-person events on the water are closed, those who want to donate and participate can register for the virtual event. The organization also provides community members the option of sponsoring a female first responder by paying for their entry to the event. 

The event donates every dollar and donation received to Operation Get Out, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. OGO provides intentional nature and water events, outings and retreats for first responders, military, nurses and surviving family members for positive mental wellness. 

Credit: John Perry

OGO was created by the families and friends of Kristin McLain, a Travis County StarFlight rescue nurse, and Jessica Hollis, a Travis County senior deputy, as a way to share the "common mind and heart of 'blue'" these two women had, according to the event's website. 

The two-day event is held in memory of both McLain and Hollis, "both of whom committed their lives to serve others while utilizing the water for their own positive mental and physical wellness impact," the website detailed.

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