Poseiden Foundation
A hodgepodge of camping gear and a staggering number of skateboards filled the majority of the van as old-time friends and newcomers got together for a California road trip up the coast.
Vanessa Torres, Sophie Poppe, Lacey Baker and Poseiden’s Board of Director, Jen O'Brien, teamed up to give back to the community by visiting and teaching kids how to skateboard. The background of these kids come from inner-city schools and peace oriented organizations who work with at-risk communities.
“We’re about transforming dreams into reality. We want to bring awareness about giving back without wanting anything in return and try to change the mindset of society. What we mainly deal with for various reasons include socioeconomic barriers. There is a lot of talented youth that are never able to realize their dreams. What Poseiden has done create opportunity that can transform these dreams into reality,” said the founder of Poseiden, Micaela Ramirez.
The week-long excursion that kicked off in San Francisco with a van of skaters and do-gooders whose mission was to give back by shinning hope on communities where children need it the most.
Day one was spent in Mission District of San Francisco at Everetts Middle school. We were greeted by Cory, the organizer of their after school program. Upon arrival we noticed dozens of energetic kids on the blacktop, some with boards and some without, but they were all eager to hang out and have a skate session with the girls. Poseiden met up with Erica from Skate Like a Girl came out for support. She was there to support the movement's goals. Having Erica present was a morale booster because she understands the importance of youth empowerment and confidence building through sports.
The middle school provided a couple rails and boxes set up for the girls to do a demo. Afterwards, the girls did a meet-and-greet with the kids and participated in a skate session with the kids. Poseiden put on a mini "best trick" contest with exciting awards like free skateboard decks and t-shirts. Jen, Aurora, Vanessa, and Sophie demonstrated some of their classic moves while the children busted out some of their own.
Comments
Thank you
First, Poseiden would like to thank all those who helped in making this tour and trip happen especially the athletes: Lacey Baker, Sophie Poppe, Vanessa Torres, and their sponsors for all their support.
We would like also like to thank: The Chili Bowl, Toad and Salomon for letting us be part of the contest; Aurora Kimble, Board of Director Jen O'Brien, writer Jacki Le, photographers "Saka" Robson Sakamoto, Sara Molina, and Courtney Payne-Taylor who donated their time in helping Poseiden capture each unique experience of the youth along the coast of California.
A big thank you and special thanks to DLYA Magazine for covering our story and spreading the word about the Poseiden Foundation,INC and to the organizations that allowed us to be part of their family for the day by sharing smiles, laughs and joys that will last a lifetime.
Thank You.
-Skate Con Gusto