VERO BEACH — Members of the Vero Beach Lifeguard Association (VBLA) presented Lee Olsen, manager of Waldo’s Restaurant & Lounge in Vero Beach, with the 2015 VBLA Supporter of the Year Award.
The award, presented to the business or individual who demonstrated a willingness and commitment towards VBLA’s mission to help promote water safety in Vero Beach and the surrounding communities was a painting of Waldo’s and the Driftwood Inn by local artist and member of the VBLA Board of Directors, Dave Farrow.
“People come to Vero Beach and Waldo’s to enjoy the beach and have fun. I think it’s very important that our beaches are as safe as possible. Safer beaches are good for business. When the lifeguards asked for my help, I was glad to support them in any way I could,” Olsen said.
“We had our first VBLA meeting at Waldo’s back in 2011. Lee didn’t hesitate to help us out,” added Tim Capra, Vice President and co-founder of VBLA.
Waldo’s has sponsored VBLA events such as The Waldo’s Wildcard Poker Stroll, Barefoot Beach Ball and Race to the Wreck.
With support from the local community, businesses and individuals, VBLA has donated thousands of dollars of equipment to the City of Vero Beach lifeguards.
Presently, VBLA is raising money to build a lifeguard tower and headquarters at Humistion Park and is producing a local beach safety video which it hopes to distribute to the community, hotels and schools in the area in order to educate the public about local beaches and the ocean.
For more information contact VBLA at http://www.vbla.org/ or email VeroBeachLA@yahoo.com.
