Go Skateboarding Day Benefits Top Charities Across The Globe
Go Skateboarding Day (GSD), the international holiday for all things skateboarding, is not only supporting the sport, retailers, and the skaters, but has shown to have a significant effect on top charities around the world.
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One remarkable example of skaters coming together to influence change is Skateistan, a non-profit organization based in Kabul, Afghanistan, that created the first skateboarding school in Afghanistan. Their mission is to engage urban and internally-displaced youth through skateboarding. For Go Skateboarding Day 2010, which occurs annually on June 21st, Skateistan is teaming up with skaters in Switzerland to connect the two cultures and secure donations for the charity. Along with collecting donations for Skateistan, skaters in Basel, Switzerland, will take to the streets and skate a 5000 meter (3.11 miles) trek across the city to represent the 5000 kilometer (3,107 miles) distance between Basel and Kabul. Concurrently, skaters in Kabul will be skating through the city in solidarity.
“Skateistan is working towards building trust between different Afghan ethnicities as well as between Afghans and foreigners. A deck and four wheels offer us the perfect tool to promote this,” said Oliver Percovich, Director of Skateistan.
“Go Skateboarding Day has always been about the global skateboard community getting together and having fun! It's amazing to see that it has also become a great day for skaters to give back to charities by raising money through events, donating products, or petitioning for a skatepark in their town. It's great to see that people around the world are taking the passion they have for skateboarding and using it to help those in need," said Don Brown, Chairman of the IASC Board of Directors and SVP of Marketing at Sole Technology.
Other charities and organizations that have drawn attention and funds by participating in Go Skateboarding Day include: JohnnyKicksCancer, Lee Matasi Foundation, Stoked Mentoring, Boys and Girls clubs, YMCA, A.skate Foundation, and Grind for Life to name a few as well as multiple skatepark fundraisers across the nation.
For more information about Go Skateboarding Day, including events, flyers, and information packs that help skateboarders create their own events go to www.goskateboardingday.org.
To get involved or donate to the Skateistan organization, go to www.skateistan.org.
About Go Skateboarding Day
Go Skateboarding Day, held June 21st of every year, is the official holiday of skateboarding. Event locations are disclosed at local skate stores and on www.goskateboardingday.org, where you will also find info on how to create your own event, fundraiser or rally, among other things. While the holiday grows, the mission remains the same: Go skateboarding and have fun!
