After the superstorm’s clouds had passed there were “silver linings,” said co-owner Cory Higgins of Jetty at a screening of the company’s film “Landfall – The Eyes of Sandy.”
The movie is just one of the fund raising projects for the newly created Jetty Rock Foundation, a 501-3c corporation that is now the non-profit arm of the Jetty clothing company, said Higgins. Its mission, according to the Jetty Web site is to “instill a sense of community by offering support to its active members in need.”
“We will be helping the helpers,” said Higgins through grants and other funding to non-profits who deal directly with the public recovering from Superstorm Sandy, he added.
Prior to forming the foundation, Jetty had already donated nearly $150,000 to the LBI community.
“Landfall,” which debuted during last month’s LBI Thank-You Fest, was screened again this past Wednesday night at the Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven.
It begins with chronicling some of the horrible events when Sandy hit Long Beach Island and near by Mainland. But more importantly, said Higgins, it documents “what it was like being part of community working together to come back.”
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More than 200 people attended the screening and among them were residents, business owners and friends who were part of the silver lining, Higgins spoke about.
The audience reactions could be heard throughout the showing. There were gasps and groans when watching a waterfall gushing down the stairs of the Sea Shell’s restaurant into the lobby as first responders go in to rescue someone trapped under a toppled cooler.
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Then there were chuckles when LBI watersports icon, Jack Bushko, summed up the entire situation after hearing Sandy was traveling east. “The storm turned left, we’re screwed.”
There was even a belly laugh or two when the camera zoomed in a pint glass of “F-U Sandy” beer, a keg of which was brewed for a post-Sandy fundraiser.
In “Landfall,” the clean-up efforts after Sandy showed the resolve of the entire community to unite and restore LBI and the nearby mainland.
Higgins and his partner, Jeremy DeFilippis, are shown with their employees, printing fund raising T-shirts nearly round the clock.
Early on the T-shirt profits were then turned into gift cards distributed to displaced persons, or to buy supplies and other items need at the evacuation shelters.
They also filled trailer with sheet rock and other building supplies that was parked on the island.
Meanwhile, volunteers spread out to gut damaged houses, move people in to temporary homes and begin the rebuilding.
The film was shot and edited over the winter and ends with Higgins and others saying their goal was to be ready for the summer of 2013, since so much of the area’s survival is based on the tourism.
“We want people to come and say 2013 was the best summer ever,” he said.
That resolve and determination appears to have been successful as on the night of the screening Beach Haven was alive with summer activity.
There were 150 or so enjoying a jazz concert in Bi-Centennial Park, the weekly LBI Ghost Tour was around town with about 30 ghost hunters in tow, while across the street the male chorus still in sailor costumes for the Surflight’s production of “South Pacific.” was about to go on parade.
Nearby, the Showplace Ice Parlor had a line out the door, and those “waterfall” steps at the Shell now lead to their new 10 South Martini Bar and then out to a packed pool bar.
Landfall is currently scheduled for another showing on Wednesday, July 24 at 8 p.m. at the Surflight Theatre with more dates and locations being planned, said Higgins.
Tickets are $20 and will soon be available online at www.jettylife.com or www.landfallfilm.com
Orders for DVD copies, which are also $20, and other Sandy fundraising items can also be found there. The Landfall movie trailer can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/66154280
