Good Vibrations
FOR BRIGANTINE’S TERI GRAGG AND ZACK LAIELLI, GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IS SECOND NATURE. TERI IS THE BRAINS BEHIND ARTS NIGHT, THE BELOVED SCHOOL EVENT THAT TOOK ITS FINAL BOW LAST YEAR. AND ZACK HELPS RUN SURF JAM, THE ANNUAL COMMUNITY SURF AND BOOGIE BOARDING CONTEST EACH AUGUST
text STEF GODFREY // photos KELLY AND CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY
Arts Night
It all began with a bit of mischief. When Teri Gragg’s kindergartner son Bobby got into a little trouble at school, Principal Don Marrandino came up with a creative way to help. Teri had an art degree in illustration and art therapy from Philly’s University of the Arts and was teaching classes in art after all. Don suggested she consider coming in as a teacher so Bobby could see her, and she could make sure he stayed on the right path.
“And it worked! I thank my son every day for my career. Thirty-five and a half years later, I finally retired, I have to say, it was the most amazing job,” said Teri.
Thirty-two of those years were spent as an art teacher after briefly teaching first grade. Quickly into her arts tenure, the school was experiencing a population boom with nearly 700 kids in the elementary school alone.
“I was struggling in the beginning as to what direction to take the art. I noticed the children in the school weren’t always getting along very well. There was a little bit of tension between the kids because there were new people here that might have dressed or spoken differently,” said Teri.
That’s when inspiration struck.
Teri approached Don with her idea to have a multicultural arts program. This, she hoped, would promote respect amongst the students.
“If we used art as a platform, we could teach the kids beautiful art from beautiful places around the world and maybe they would learn to respect each other a bit more through the art,” Teri explained. “Mr. Marrandino thought it was a really good idea.”
Her multicultural-based program taught art through culture and locations and then backdoored in the skills, so to speak.
“For example, when we learned about watercolor painting, I taught them about China. Then they learned how to hold a brush and calligraphy and how to paint using a brush and use Chinese calligraphy to help explain that,” said Teri.
It wasn’t long before change was noticeable. The students treated each other with more kindness.
“Instead of thinking people were all different, they were starting to realize every culture is a wonderful culture and we did it through the use of art,” said Teri. “It was so successful.”
This same idea of connecting culturally through art was put into place when Teri was asked to host her first large scale art show. Art Night was born. “At that time, I had over 700 students. It was 4,200 pieces of art since it’s about six art pieces per student. It was a lot. So, I reached out to the community, I wrote home to parents interested in helping. It was amazing how many parents wanted to participate. It was huge, now they are sharing their culture with me. The thing just snowballed,” said Teri.
When new music teacher Elaine King started at Brigantine, Teri found both a friend and a fellow collaborator.
“She loved cultural arts as much as I did. When she started working at the school, I asked her if she’d like to participate with me in Art Night. She jumped in with two feet. And Art Night, became Arts Night, because now it wasn’t just art, it was music. From there the librarian jumped on, so now it was art, music, and story-telling. Then the gym teacher jumped on and there was dancing. Then the tech teacher came on, so we had technology,” said Teri.
Arts Night ran until 2023, when Teri retired.
Now she is excited for more time with her family.
“I’m a mom of twin daughters and a son. I’m a grandma and am very proud of that. That’s my biggest identity. My second biggest identity has been being the art teacher at Brigantine Community School for the last 32 years,” said Teri. “It was a ride. It was an amazing ride.”
Surf Jam
Brigantine firefighter Zack Laielli is picking up good vibrations. He, along with fellow firefighter Tim Daley, run the annual Surf Jam, a Brigantine community surfing and boogie boarding contest and all day beach event held every early August.
“I grew up in Brigantine and spent mostly my entire life here. For three years, my wife and I bought a house in Absecon, prior to having kids. Then we moved back,” said Zack.
“I grew up surfing. My parents both surf, so I spent everyday at the beach as a kid. Then my parents opened up a surf shop, Primal Surf, in 2003 and that’s how I got involved in the Surf Jam.”
Surf Jam evolved from the Brigantine Wave Riders Association, formed back in the 1980s by Bob Simon, Linda Davoli, and Bob McClay. They formed the organization and put on a Brigantine surf contest every year called the Surf Fest.
“In 2005, after a long time, they decided to step away. Tim Daley of the Brigantine Fire Department decided to take it over. Nick Manara, he worked for the Brigantine CER, approached Tim and asked him if he’d like to take it over. So, he did.”
With the help of the Brigantine Fire Department, the IAFF Local 2657 Union, the event got a new life (and a new name) - the Brigantine Surf Jam.
“This will be the 19th year of the Brigantine Surf Jam. It’s really a cool event,” said Zack. “The Fire Department runs the event, since it’s already a nonprofit itself. Every dollar that is profited is saved in an account. When we come up with a good idea on how to give back to the community, we do some type of donation.”
The first donation from the Surf Jam proceeds was an AED Defibrillator that was placed at Acme, a locally accessible public place intended to help the entire Brigantine community.
“Surf Jam funded purchasing it and the training. That’s there just in case there is ever a cardiac arrest event in that area with signs telling you where to go. That was about 2011,” said Zack, explaining that there are 15-20 AED Defibrillators in public places throughout the island.
Since then, Surf Jam has continued to make a positive impact on the island with its donations. One year, Tim and Zack collaborated with a local design company to create those cool nature signs at the south jetty beach.
“We designed three displays that are along the south jetty walking and driving path. Seaside Road and Sandy Lane Road. They show what wildlife is in the area; one for sea life, one for birds, and then other animals that live there,” said Zack.
Other donations include a rescue board for the Beach Patrol and creating a surf-themed area for students at Brigantine Community School.
“The school wanted a surf themed hallway, so we paid for a mural by artists Charles Barbin and Randi Meekins, and then I shaped three surfboard tables for it,” said Zack. “I did a lot of ding repair working for my parents’ surf shop over the years, I was familiar with working with foam and fiberglass.”
Now, the Surf Jam team is looking for its next charitable donation.
“It’s been two or three years, so we are waiting for a good idea to benefit the most people, especially the surfing community. They are the people who sign up, pay for it and it’s their money,” said Zack. “We like to have it go back to them in some way, and if it can benefit the entire community, it’s even better.”
Surf Jam registration is accepted on liveheats.com. The community event is open to both Brigantine residents and summer vacationers. There are upwards of 15 divisions between boys and girls, shortboard and longboard, and the different ages. There’s also a boogie boarding division.
“The junior boogie boarding division is our most popular. Last year we had more than 50 competitors in that division alone. Every one of those competitors 10 and under receive a medal. The young ages, everybody goes home with a competitor medal in addition to a trophy if they finish in the top three,” said Zack.
With about 160 entries from ages of five to 60 or 70 maybe, the Surf Jam attracts so many people from the Brigantine surf community. It’s a fun day with friends, coming together for the collective good of the island.
“Registration includes an event t-shirt, one event, and lunch. We always barbecue hot dogs and hamburgers. The Fire Department and Police Department volunteer and do all the cooking,” said Zack.
Follow Brigantine Surf Jam on Facebook for updates on contest day and more – www.facebook.com/BrigantineSurfJam.