Skate – Create – Donate
skate-aid is one of the most beautiful organisations that I have come across in the world of skating! These guys are actively heading up projects all over the world and helping genuinely less privileged kids by using their joint love of skateboarding to change peoples lives. skate-aid have multiple projects going on in Africa, Asia, America and Europe. They are always looking for new volunteers and have a great infrastructure and website where you can read all about their projects and fund raising events and also get involved too.
http://www.skate-aid.org/en/home
Based in Munich, Germany and heading up operations all over the globe skate-aid are a pretty formidable bunch. People can get involved in all sorts of ways from volunteering for various projects in Palestine to Costa Rica or even Rwanda. Donating your old skate stuff to a very worthy cause or even setting up your own fundraiser to help donate as a one off payment straight to skate-aid. They really have put their heart and soul into this company and it shows!
Photos by Maurice Ressel
The whole premise behind skate-aid is giving children an opportunity that they would otherwise never have without this organisation. Some people don’t think that skateboarding has a place in society or just dismiss it as a rebellious act of youthful frustration. But it really is so much more than that. It is a platform for these kids to come together, play with each other and learn new, awesome skills and tricks as they do. It also gives them constant achievable goals and takes their minds of the stupid shit that is going on in some of these countries, that kids should never have to deal with. I really can’t express just how happy it makes me to see something like this not only existing but working in such harmony with all that are taking part.
This is truly a victory for Skateboarding!
Photo by Torben Oberhellmann
To see some more up to date publication skate-aid also recently started publishing its own magazine and is now on its 5th episode which you can currently read online here. It is in English as well as German and there are lots of great pictures throughout the issue showing all the great projects that have been taking place recently.
They also have a face book page with up to dat info on projects and events:
https://www.facebook.com/skateaid/?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser
Article by Jack Butcher, BS
BOARD STUPID 