Florida Specialty Plate Spotlight Series: Endless Summer

You know what we love about our Florida Specialty Plate Spotlight Series here at eTags?  You don’t have to guess….we’ll tell you: it’s the super fun fact that while we help our clients get creative and let their creative flags fly via their license plate, we are also enabling them to help support some particularly lovely and charitable causes.  Across the board, any specialty plate offered for purchase through eTags not only adds spice and fun to your ride, but also is a marker of care and support to that specific organization.  If this isn’t a win-win, we don’t know what is.

This week’s Spotlight shines its bright, sunny beam onto one of the most popular and sought-after tags in the state of Florida.

It is none other than….drum roll please…. Endless Summer.  Honestly, the name alone is enough to inspire us to head over to the foundation’s site to explore the work they do.  That said, we know you’re busy and may not have time to take a finger walk or click, so we’re going to explain just how sweet upgrading to this Specialty Plate is.

The Endless Summer plate comes from the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, Inc. This charity, founded by Ron and Lynne DiMenna, aims to sustain the surfing lifestyle and preserve Florida’s beaches through education, public engagement, various programs, and community activities.  Their mission includes the following beautiful elements:

• Fund the proposed Surfing’s Evolution Experience™
• Support programs and events of likeminded organizations for the benefit of ocean and shoreline health
• Promote education on beach safety
• Support and promote lectures and board sports events
• Promote education and action in coastal pollution and beach ecology
• Provide funding for needed beach enhancements
• Allocate resources for safety needs such as lifeguards on high-risk beaches
• Fund and promote community activities such as beach clean-up events, educational materials, and conservation initiatives

Here’s the wild thing: when you opt for the iconic plate with the big, golden sunset, the surfer with a surfboard, the message of Endless Summer, you are supporting all of the above initiatives.

And there is so little to do but choose this tag.   Whether you are registering a vehicle for the first time, or when your current registration is up for its due renewal, or any old time you feel like just upgrading to a specialty plate…you can!

Every purchase of the Endless Summer Specialty Plate ensures that the proceeds are directed to the preservation foundation and will help the tireless efforts of the team and its partners to educate the public, keep the beaches clean and safe, and maintain the history of Florida coastline.

One need only look at the impressive list of partners that support this foundation to understand what a worthwhile and important cause it is.

With over 100 different affiliates onboard with Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation, some of them include:

• Ron Jon Surf Shop
• Florida Surf Museum
• Surfers for Autism
• Trash Turtles
• Oceans of Hope
• Water Warrior Alliance
• Salty Soul
• Florida State Parks Foundation
• The YMCA
• FLA Surf Film Fest

And that’s just to name a few.  The impressive list goes on and on.

One great example of this effective partnership program is the Drown Zero Initiative. Back in 2017 the Cocoa Beach Rotary Club embarked on a wonderful strategy to elliminate instances of water fatalities along the shoreline.  With the help of local leaders, the Rotary Club installed life-saving stations all along the beach with orange buoys or flotation devices to be utilized by beachgoers in the case of an emergency.

Having become aware of the ambitious and worthwhile project, Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation hopped on board (get it….surfing…on board) and began sponsoring the Cocoa Beach Rotary Club in their efforts. Since 2019, the two entities have been partnered, and have seen their endeavors come to fruition in the rescue of several people by these available life-saving devices, and with the expansion of the program to other counties and local Rotary Clubs.

Another shining example of what the Endless Summer tag supports is ensuring the accessibility of every Coastal Florida State Park. Meaning, owing to the partnership between Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation and the Florida State Parks Foundation, more than fifty beach wheelchairs are available for use along the state coast.

These chairs are of great importance, as conventional wheelchairs are not nearly as mobile at the beach and often will get stuck in the sand. The specialized chairs are purpose made to roll along the beach and can even be wheeled into shallow waters. This means a world of difference to those individuals who otherwise may not have access to the natural beauty and wonder of the Florida coastline.

Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation also supports the conservation of the endangered species of Perdido Key Beach mice, the FBPCA beach warning flag program, the Special Olympics surfing program, the Keep Florida Beautiful program, Sister of the Sea (the world’s longest running All-Women’s Surf classic), the Coastal Connections program, which protects coastal habitats and connects communities to the environment, and many more.

So: the purchase of one Endless Summer Specialty Plate equals the support and advocacy of so many environmental, accessibility and equality causes.

One upgrade to that quintessentially Florida surf scene, and you’ve automatically become a philanthropist and champion.

And of course we’re here to facilitate this commendable gesture.  Ordering a Specialty Plate could not be easier, and it can be done at any point during your vehicle’s registration period.  Simply head over to etags.com, choose Florida as your state, and head down to the option to Renew + Specialty and/or personalized plate.

Oh, did we mention that you can personalize your plate as well?!  Yep. You sure can.  So not only do you get the fun plate, but you get to make it wholly your own.  And as always, if you’re curious, have questions, need assistance with all things title and registration related: we’re here to help!