Help Rebuild Joy and Connection Through Skating

Hey there - My name is Mark and I own and operate a little inline & roller skate shop in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. Maybe you've rented some blades to cruise the River Arts Greenway, or maybe you've snagged some roller skates for the Parks and Rec skate nights at Carrier Park. In the short time I've been open, I've seen so many people get back into skating because of this little shop, and that, to me, means everything. Skating is the only thing that has made sense to me in almost 30 years, and sharing that with people truly brings me joy.

As most people know, Hurricane Helene recently (September 27th, 2024) slammed into the region, causing unimaginable damage all over Western North Carolina and the surrounding states. As of today (October 7th, 2024), most towns near the devastated area are still without power or running water, and fixing the water system could take several weeks, if not months, so we have a long road ahead of us.

I wouldn't be here (GoFundMe) if I didn't truly need the help. Compared to so many others in the area, my damage was minimal, and I have a lot of survivor's guilt even asking - but to be able to recover and to reopen the shop and get people skating again, I'm asking for some help, something I hate to do (ask anyone).

All that said, my small business insurance isn't going to cover ANYTHING lost due to water damage.

If the skate community and Asheville has taught me anything, it's that community matters most, and that we take care of each other. I've witnessed that a lot over the past few days. If you've stumbled upon this page by accident and still want to donate to the relief effort in Western North Carolina, consider donating to BeLoved Asheville (https://www.belovedasheville.com). They have been on the ground helping since day one - feeding people, getting people water, finding loved ones, delivering supplies, and helping anyone and everyone.

Any money left over from this fundraiser will go directly to BeLoved and to help this community come back from the brink.

To be as upfront as possible - this is everything I lost:

Rollerblade Rental Skates

2x size 13

2x size 12

2x size 11

2x size 10

2x size 9

2x size 8

2x size 7

——————

50/50 Backpack

——————

The New Everything Company Skate

Size medium - pink

——————

Triple 8 Covert Knee Pad

3x small

3x medium

1x large

——————

187 Pads Adult Six Pack

1x extra small

2x small/medium

2x large/XL

——————

187 Pads Slim Knee Pad

Size small

——————

Last Supper Wheels Socks

2x white

2x black

2x tan

——————

Chaya Skates - Barbie Kismet Black

Size 42 (9)

Size 43 (10)

Size 44 (10.5)

Size 45 (11)

——————

Fishbrains “Skater Dude” Hat

23x black

——————

Fishbrains “Skater Dude” Tote

25x black

——————

Lowry Hockey Stick Tape

1x case black (50 rolls)

1x case white (50 rolls)

——————

Rollerblade Twister

Size 8/8.5

——————

Rollerblade Lightning W

Size 5/5.5

Size 6/6.5

Size 7/7.5

Size 8/8.5

Size 9/9.5

——————

Rollerblade Cruiser W

Size 5

Size 6

Size 10

——————

Rollerblade Blank Team Skate

Size 7/7.5

Size 8/8.5

——————

Riedell R3 Derby Skate

Size 5

——————

Rollerblade RB 80 W

Size 8

——————

Rollerblade Microblade Kids Skate

Size 2-5

——————

Glass and Wood Store Display Cases

2x 6ft

1x 4ft

——————

Vintage Black Display Shelf

——————

GRAND TOTAL

——————

$7,421.12