I got emails from Landyachtz and Bustin Boards that made me think. They were both not only running holiday promotions, but donating to charities as well. That seemed great, but I think I bought enough skateboards for 2019. So how could I help? I started putting together a list of charities, starting with those mentioned by Bustin Boards and Landyachtz. These improve the lives of children by introducing them to skating, new friends, and keeping them out of trouble. They give them new opportunities to have some fun and gain confidence. I also recognize that most of our decks are made of wood (despite my last two reviews being for products that do not contain wood). Therefore, I also found a few good charities who are planting trees. Those are some pretty great goals, right? So let’s take a look at these skate-related charities, for those of you feeling generous this holiday season.
Plant Some Trees
These are some of my favorite charities. The environment’s a wreck and we could actually fight climate change with a ton of trees. Plus, do you know what trees are used for? Skateboards. By Landyachtz’ estimate, one Canadian Maple tree can make 60 skateboards. Do you know how much it costs to plant a tree? For most charities, $1. So let’s look at a few ways you can plant some trees.
- Join #TeamTrees. I don’t have my YouTube account for this site doing anything for it, but, on behalf of the shredding Lorax (I skate for the trees!), a few of those trees are from me. One dollar equates to one tree. They’re trying to hit 20 million by the end of the year. How cool would that be?
- Support the U.S. National Forests. Not only will $1 plant a tree through this charity, but the U.S. government will also chip in $2 to care for the tree. You can ensure that our national forests stand tall for generations to come.
- One Tree Planted. This is a worldwide charity that will, you guessed it, plant a tree for a buck. There’s a lot of that going around, but now you’ve got options!
- Search with Ecosia. This is a search engine that donates the profits from their ads to plant trees. Every 40 searches plants a tree. Instead of giving your data to Google, you could plant trees!
- Buy a skateboard from Landyachtz. This actually hits something on both lists right now. They’ll plant a tree, and if you buy one of their holiday gift packs, they’ll also provide a skateboard for a kid through Skateboards for Hope.
- And one last note. Bamboo is more ecological than maple. Bamboo sprouts up incredibly quickly, while maple trees take much longer to mature. Planting a tree for every skateboard is a great way to offset this, but you could also consider trying out bamboo for your next board, especially if you want something with a lot of flex. I’ll admit, I still prefer maple for most applications, but my bamboo board does have some really great flex and springiness that I like. Maybe consider bamboo for one of your boards?
Help Kids Skate (and Play Other Sports)
Sure, planting trees helps the environment, as well as provides wood for our decks. But kids should be able to enjoy childhood as well. I remember as a kid thinking a skateboard was way too expensive, knowing I could never have a good one. I never grew up, so now I get to use my salary for skateboards. And not just for myself. Childhood should be fun. Outside of keeping kids well-fed, safe, and educated, we need to make sure that they have a way to, well, be kids. So here’s how you can help with that. It takes a village.
- Skateboards for Hope. This one got me started on this idea, as it’s the charity Landyachtz is using for their holiday promotion. The charity will take your used skateboards and send it someone in the world. Somewhere, a child will find a new way to get around and have fun from your old board. Also, if you send money, it supports the efforts to get this boards all over the world.
- Chill Foundation. This is the charity supported by Bustin Boards this year. It’s all about putting boards under feet. That could be snowboards, skateboards, surf boards… wake… boards? Huh. Humans have found a lot of fun ways to ride boards. They go to foster care agencies, mental health facilities, juvenile justice programs, and schools to select kids who just need a break. A break to be a kid, learn a new skill, find a better path, and have some fun.
- Tony Hawk Foundation. Tony Hawk, best known for looking kind of like that skater Tony Hawk, created a charity to help build skate parks. To date, they’ve contributed to 623 skateparks in the U.S. Help give a kid someplace safe to shred.
- Girls Riders Organization. This charity helps pair girls with mentors and gear to get them skating. It’s no secret that skateboarding is a male dominated sport. But why? Like cars, STEM, other sports, jobs, and the presidency, it’s considered something that’s “not for girls.” To hell with that. A few months ago I saw a group of high school-aged girls practicing tricks in on a small road, and a few weeks ago I saw a woman my age learning to push a skateboard for the first time. The times, they are a-changing, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t help push them along a little. Anyone can skate.
- Skate-Aid. Skate-Aid goes goes to impoverished areas to help foster a skate community there. They build skate parks, give workshops, provide skateboards and gear, and promote events. They also do workshops on racism, drug abuse, pollution, discrimination, and AIDS.
- A.skate Foundation. This charity helps kids with autism learn social skills and find a fun outdoor hobby to learn. It’s not only teaching them skills that are fun, but helps them get out, socialize, and find community.
Other Options
You know what else you can do with your money this holiday season? Keep it. Listen, if you’re struggling to make ends meet, you’re under no obligation to give. In fact, if you’re not struggling, you shouldn’t feel obligated to give anyone your money. You have bills too. You have yourself to support, maybe your family, maybe you just want to get them some cool presents. Skateboards are expensive! That’s all 100% okay. You worked for it, you should enjoy it! Deciding not to give to charity does not make you a bad person or even a worse person than someone who does give to charity. However, if you want to help some people enjoy this fun hobby or get some more oxygen in the air (and decks on the ground), here are a few ways to do it.
Whatever you do this winter, I hope you have an excellent holiday season, and find somewhere warm to skate a bit. Personally? I just hope the solstice holiday of your choosing occurs on a heat wave so you can get out and skate a little! None of this white Christmas junk, I want dry asphalt!
