Kayden Batson kept pestering his great-grandmother about when he could choose his very first skateboard.
She presented him with two options, and the 4-year-old selected the one adorned with a rainbow sticker. The board was taller than he was, and he hadn’t quite mastered riding it yet, but that didn’t matter — the skateboard was his and he adored it.
“I love it,” said Debra Griffen, Kayden’s 65-year-old great-grandmother. “I’ve never seen him this happy.”
Griffen had planned to save the skateboard until Christmas morning.
“This is Christmas,” she said.
Griffen injured her back while working and depends on an $800-a-month disability payment to support herself and Kayden. With such limited funds, buying a skateboard for her great-grandson would be out of reach.
Without Boards for Bros, Kayden likely would have gone without gifts this year.
What Is Boards for Bros?
The Skatepark of Tampa, a legendary Florida skatepark whose admirers include Tony Hawk and Lil Wayne, launched Boards for Bros as its charitable arm in 2006.
Boards for Bros aims to ensure that any child who wants a quality skateboard can receive one at no cost.
“We support kids who don’t want to play a team sport. We help teenagers in foster care who can’t take a bike with them when they’re moved from one group home to another,” said Michelle Box, the executive director of Boards for Bros.
The nonprofit gathers new and pre-owned skateboard gear and monetary donations throughout the year to assemble and distribute as many skateboards as possible to underserved neighborhoods.
It depends on volunteers and collaborations with other charities and youth outreach groups to reach disadvantaged and at-risk youngsters, particularly around the holidays. Volunteers provide skate demos and assist children in personalizing their boards during community distribution events.
It’s common for them to arrive at a local skatepark and hand out 100 skateboards to children in need.
In 2018, Boards for Bros distributed more than 3,000 skateboards, double the amount they gave out in 2017.
Boards for Bros Holiday Giveaways
For Tonya Griffin, whose 2-year-old Kameron Bryant also received a skateboard at the Christmas distribution event in Largo, Florida, the free board created a bit more breathing room in her holiday budget.
She must buy gifts for three children on a $250 allowance.
“We’re stretching what we already have to pay the bills while also buying gifts for the kids,” she said. “It really helps.”
The typical price for a decent skateboard setup — including trucks, bearings, wheels, deck and grip tape — ranges from $100 to $175, according to Ashley Rey, a Boards for Bros volunteer who assisted with the holiday distribution.
Boards for Bros also handed out free skate shoes that day and provided helmets at other events, which cuts caregivers’ costs even further.
Skateboard Access for All
Boards for Bros’ goal is to remove financial obstacles so children from all backgrounds can access skateparks, not just those who can afford equipment.
“Most parks don’t offer rental gear, so if a child lacks equipment, they can’t use the skatepark,” Box said. “We want to close that gap.”
Boards for Bros maintains year-round chapters in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina, and stages sponsored drives in Texas and Colorado. It has also shipped skateboards to Bangladesh, Cuba and Honduras.
“We change the lives of the kids who receive those skateboards,” Box said. “No one can deny the lasting effect it has on the kids and their families to be able to put down their phones and skate.”
If a child eventually outgrows the skateboard, Box asks them to promise to pass it along to another youngster eager to skate.
How to Get a Free Skateboard
While Box explained that Boards for Bros reviews skateboard requests individually, particularly in the Tampa Bay area, the most effective way to secure a board for your child is to ask their after-school program to contact Boards for Bros to arrange a distribution event.
If you want to donate or take part in Boards for Bros’ free skateboard initiative, visit boards4bros.org.
Not everyone who asks receives a skateboard, but the group strives to help as many families as possible because they believe every child benefits from having wheels.
Stephanie Bolling is a staff writer at Savinly. Read herfull bio hereor say hi on Twitter@StephBolling
