Talk about a fresh approach at reaching out to today’s youth. “Give Till It Hurts” is an art show and auction hosted by a variety of do-gooders in Ocean Beach “” and not the ones you might expect.
Skaters and artists alike have joined forces to create and auction decorated skateboarding shoes and decks, with proceeds benefiting The Doogood Conservatory, a local nonprofit.
Comprising a group of skaters who provide free skateboards and other sporting equipment to underprivileged kids, the Doogood Conservatory will use the money raised from the art show to encourage budding skaters to do their thing.
Shoes and decks designed exclusively by passionate skaters and artists alike will be displayed for auction between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Rock Paper Scissors International Galleria, 4976 Newport Ave. Some of the artists have indeed skated professionally, such as Ocean Beach resident Matt Dove. Contributing artists include Blair Alley, Russ Pope, Tim Kerr and Blair Rusin.
No matter where they come from or how they’ve been raised, children are inspired by talent. Few people “” adults included “” can witness a back-side blunt slide and not admire the skills required to pull off such a trick.
Nowadays, child psychiatrists, therapists and mentor organizations “” while valuable “”have all become somewhat ubiquitous. What the Doogood Conservatory aims to accomplish is to provide a “silent mentor” for the kids through skateboarding, surfing or snowboarding.
A sense of accomplishment and an incentive to wake up or get off the couch is exactly what brings skaters together. And what entices one foot to carry the other right out the door better than knowing that there is a free-to-use skateboard available at the skate park right around the corner?
Duffs, Powell Skateboards, ASR, Independent Trucks and Baker Skateboards have all supported the cause. But according to Ari Evan Gold, founder and executive director of The Doogood Conservatory, maintaining and expanding the programs per international requests requires further collaboration.
“We have grown now beyond material donations that the city can sustain,” Gold said. “The growing interest in [our] expansion will include shipping costs [and more]. We just cannot sustain our growth without an operational budget.”
The Doogood Conservatory currently has 25 partner programs established throughout the U.S. and Mexico that provide boards free of charge to after-school programs, churches, skate parks and retail shops.
Typically, each partner will have a locker or shelf space where the boards are locked up when not in use. Children are encouraged to appreciate and maintain these boards to allow continued use.
The Ocean Beach Skate Park was the first park sponsored by the Doogood Conservatory. Gold said Doogood now has requests to open programs in Africa, Europe and South America.
“If everyone in one nation, or even everyone that knows someone that surfs or skates, donated one dollar just once a year, that would be more than enough,” said Gold.
“Give Till It Hurts” will feature a killer skateboarding demonstration with a few riders from the OB Skate team in the parking lot adjacent to Rock Paper Scissors, with the Ocean Beach Surf and Skate Shop providing the ramps, which are open to the public.
The shop has also sponsored a letter writing contest organized by Doogood. While the deadline for entry into the contest has passed, the winners have yet to be announced. Three of the most inspiring letters earn sponsorship by the OB Skate and Surf Shop in the form of a complete skateboard deck and mystery prize.
Additionally, Winstons will be hosting a variety of bands and musicians from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. (see “Mike Watt” article at right).
Music, skateboarding, art and do-gooders “” what more could one ask for on a Saturday evening at the beach?
For more information on the Doogood Conservatory, visit www.doogood.org.
