Skateboards for kids in Pine Ridge

My name is Mat Thornton.  Last year, I had the chance to be a part of a mission trip to Pine Ridge South Dakota, and it truly had an impact on my life. Pine Ridge is an Indian Reservation on the southern border of South Dakota. Life on the Reservation can be very tough, but in the middle of this small town is a skate park that rivals those found in Southern California. In high school, I would have never guessed that I would be using my 7 years of skateboarding experience to interact and relate with people from a completely different walk of life.

Here are some statistics that I will pose just to give you some context into a world that I don't believe any of us can truly understand.
(From Friendsofpineridgereservation.org)

97% of the population lives far below the U.S. federal poverty line with a median household income ranging between $2,600 and $3,500 per year.

There is no industry, technology or commercial infrastructure to provide employment for its residents, contributing to its 90% unemployment rate.

There is a 70% high school dropout rate.

Teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than the U.S. national average.

There is a fantastic TED Talk on the website if you would like more history!


There are not very many opportunities for kids to be active, outside of a few sports like basketball and baseball. This fact was very easy for me to relate to because even though I was awful at sports growing up, I found community in skateboarding.  Skateboarding has become very popular on the reservation, largely due to the Levi's company building a fantastic stakepark in town. 

Equipment for the sport can get rather pricey.  Skateboard decks alone can be upwards of $75 a piece, not including all the things you need to actually make one work.  This can present a challenge for kids as their boards, wheels, and other parts deterioate in the dusty, harsh summer climate of South Dakota.

Last year, I took 3 complete boards and some miscellaneous parts. When I gave a board to an awesome kid that was so helpful while we were there,  I watched him walk over to another younger kid and give the board to him.  He said the younger kid needed it more than him. This guesture floored me.  Even though he definitely needed the new board, he never stopped thinking about the other kids around him that needed it more. So this year I want to do as much as I can for these kids! I want to donate at least 10 complete skateboards to the kids of Pine Ridge this June when I return with over 20 other people for our church's 7th venture up to Pine Ridge.  I will be purchasing everything from a Kansas City local shop called Escapist.  A complete board set up is $125.  


Any and all amounts of money will be accepted.  Your donation to this mission will help to better the lives of kids who have grown up experiencing things most of us can't imagine.  Skateboarders build a fantastic community of people who help each other, cheer each other on, pick each other up when they fall, and even if they don't know it, show a love like Jesus showed to us all.  Let's blow this goal out of the water and show some Midwest compassion!