We're stoked to officially kick-off our 2021 partnership with Element Skateboards today on Skate Shop Day. A special “Legends Never Die” gold foil deck (8.25”) is now available in limited quantities at select skate shops with proceeds benefiting HHF.

Shops carrying the charitable deck include: Labor, KCDC, Skate Brooklyn, Substance, Supreme Brooklyn, Uncle Funkys, 2ntr, Station RBNY, NJ, Theory, Old Skull, Kinetic, Vu, Plus, Black Sheep, No Comply, Familia, Subsect, Uprise, 303, Satellite, Cowtown, Brooklyn Projects, FTC, Tactics, and 35th North.

Huge shout out to Donny Barley and Brandon Westgate for hand-delivering collab decks to the NY/NJ shops during yesterday's snowstorm. These dudes are down for the cause and just straight up rule—but everyone knows that!

The Element x HHF deck is also available on Element's website. Click here to buy yours now. #LegendsNeverDie

Over the past thirty years, Element Skateboards has made it a point to be a positive force within skateboarding as well as being “conscious by nature,” supporting both social and environmental responsibility. Given the many challenges of 2020, Element was compelled to do more.

This year, as part of the brand’s efforts to promote more diversity and inclusivity within skateboarding, Element is proud to join forces with the non-profit Harold Hunter Foundation. The union will result in a series of collaborative initiatives throughout 2021 that will support NYC youth by leveraging skateboarding, art, sustainability, and professional development.

“HHF has worked with Element for many years, including sending HHF skaters to Element’s skate camps where they learned valuable life lessons and experienced nature and a world beyond NYC,” said Ray Mendez, HHF Creative Director and AmeriCorps VISTA. “HHF is now in its 15th year of serving NYC youth. We’ve seen first-hand that skateboarding has the power to transform lives, and we’re extremely grateful for Element’s support as we continue with our mission.”

Professional development will be a strong focus for Element and HHF in the year ahead. Creating inspiring mentorships and unique learning experiences for the HHF community will allow them to dream bigger. It’s not necessarily about becoming a professional skateboarder—the real goal is to expose NYC youth to new ideas and expanded possibilities by connecting them with Element team riders, staff, and industry veterans they normally wouldn’t have access to.

“It’s really important for these kids to know they aren’t alone,” said Donny Barley, Element Sales Rep and former Element Pro. “The goal is to listen and brainstorm together on what a future career path could look like—whatever that may be for each individual we’re working with.”

Video produced by Parlour Productions.

With 2021 now in full swing, we wanted to take a moment to reflect upon our many accomplishments in 2020 despite the formidable challenges we all faced.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Harold Hunter Foundation relies on financial support from the community to execute a variety of youth-focused programming that positively impacts the lives of NYC skateboarders.

We are proud to say that, thanks to the support of many wonderful donors and friends, HHF was able to successfully navigate the difficulties of 2020 and is well positioned for 2021.

In 2020, HHF raised a total of $267,093 as well as invaluable in-kind support. This support came from a variety of sources, including:

• Grants: Up2Us Sports, Inc., Laureus USA, VF Foundation, and L&M Development Partners
• Brands: Dickies, HUF, Red Bull, Zoo York, Maxallure Skateboards, Tactics Boardshop, USA Skateboarding, Vans, NikeLab, and Deluxe Distribution
• Individuals: Over 100 individual supporters just like you made donations

 
The support we received in 2020 enabled us to work directly with more than 150 NYC skateboarders. Programming focused on pandemic safety, voting rights and registration, handling police encounters, racial injustice, community service, workforce readiness, LGBTQ+ rights, and female empowerment.

In the year ahead, we are making a major investment in HHF infrastructure by growing our Programs Team from 4 to 9 individuals, including adding 4 new Coach/Mentors and a Community Outreach Coordinator via continued essential support from Up2Us Sports’ AmeriCorps Coach and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) programs, as well as a Social Worker and a new Director of Programs. We are proud that every one of these positions will be held by passionate, committed skateboarders from the NYC skate community.

Our expanded Programs Team will help us to:

• Launch a new outreach-based model of our Legacy Program with support from the VF Foundation
• Continue our Community-Based Participatory Program Improvement Project focused on developing, piloting, and refining a variety of innovative programs to most effectively meet the needs of the NYC skate community with support from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
• Return to Brownsville with a pilot program based out of the newly opened Betsy Head Skatepark, dedicated specifically to this vibrant, but historically disenfranchised neighborhood with support from L+M Development Partners
• Continue our partnership with Nike on the HHF x NikeLab Workforce Readiness Program, the first cohort of which began last fall
• Continue our work on developing more structured workforce readiness offerings focused on careers in the creative industry with support from Dickies
• Partner with Element Skateboards and Red Bull on a series of initiatives that will support NYC youth

 
2021 is going to be a very exciting year, and it simply would not be possible without the support of our incredible HHF community. Thank you!

Photos by Cole Giordano.