Booker T Washington Elementary - Boards, Books and Beats!

Posted on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 by Chris

On May 31, Boards for Bros, Bess the Book Bus and Giving Tree Music surprised all fifth grade graduates at Booker T Washington Elementary in Ybor with a morning full of books, beats and skateboarding. It was an amazing morning with each kid getting a book, a skateboard and a helmet to take home and keep forever. Volunteers from SPoT showed the kids how to shred with a demo and their first skateboard lesson. It was a rad homecoming for Brian Schaefer and Edwin Velez as they were students here back in the day.

Huge thank you to the Lightning Foundation, Bess the Book Bus, Giving Tree Music, Triple 8 and all the volunteers who helped build the 72 skateboards that were distributed. Deep gratitude to Jennifer Robinson and the staff at Booker T. Washington Elementary for supporting skateboarding and making sure their students have the equipment they need to skate the nearby Bro Bowl all summer long.

We are already collecting donations to support our big Christmas 2019 and end-of-school distributions in 2020. Cash donations can be made here and used equipment donation drop off spots are listed on BoardsforBros.org. Need more info? Hit us up at info@boardsforbros.org

Photos by Josh Bowser
Words by Michelle Box

Our amazing staff and volunteers who made the day a special one for 72 fifth grade graduates.

The boards were all laid out ready for the kids to choose their very own first skateboard. Bess the Book Bus was filled with hundreds of books for the kids to choose.

Steve from Giving Tree Music provided the drums and the soundtrack of a morning of skating.

Huge thanks to Triple 8 for helping Boards for Bros to provide helmets to our new skaters.

Brian

Brian was busy giving lots of kids their first skateboard lesson and passing on a love of all things skateboarding.

Boards For

Boards for Bros tries to work with Bess the Book Bus as often as possible because they have found that boards and books go together like peas and carrots.

Our distribution sessions always progress to where the kids who get the hang of it quickly start helping their friends to get better. This is the gift of skateboarding at work - building friendships and community.