SHORELINES

7 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2015 Vol :3 Greg Hodgin would have never guessed sitting in a church pew one Sunday morning in 2006 that the very thing he questioned would one day be his calling in life. A North Carolina native, he recalls the moment vividly when he encountered children from a children's home at his church. Hodgin, an avid wakeboarder, had just returned from the wakeboarding national championships in Bakersfield, California. He wondered if they had many opportunities to enjoy the lake and discussed with his wife the possibility of taking the children out for a day of water sports with his family. One year later, after a devastating car wreck, Hodgin began re- evaluating his life and could not forget the children he had met from the children's home. After being named the Masters Wakeboard United States champion the following year in 2007, Hodgin returned to North Carolina, assured that his passion for water sports and outreach to less fortunate children could go hand in hand. With seven friends and their boats, Wake the World held its first official water sports event in 2008. They took children from two area children's homes for a full day on the lake to enjoy water sports and recreation. "Immediately we realized it wasn't just about the kids. It was about all of us. We all felt inspired by sharing the lake with these children and by being involved in the event," said Hodgin. Wake the World continued to grow and by 2010, people from Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Virginia and Ohio traveled to North Carolina to volunteer to and learn how to host their own Wake the World events. In 2013, Wake the World became the largest nonprofit organization of its kind, with 300 volunteer boats in multiple events across the country. "The cool thing about this is we have never approached anyone about Wake the World or fundraising. They have always come to us. We have "IMMEDIATELY WE REALIZED IT WASN'T JUST ABOUT THE KIDS. IT WAS ABOUT ALL OF US. WE ALL FELT INSPIRED BY SHARING THE L AKE WITH THESE CHILDREN AND BY BEING INVOLVED IN THE EVENT." – GR E G H O D G IN Opposite: Photo by nik layman — Brothers from Big Oak Ranch take turns wakeboarding during Wake the World this summer. Above: Photo by nik layman — Families enjoyed a day of water sports on Smith Lake during the fifth year of Wake the World.

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