COSTA MESA, Calif.,
Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Today, Vans, the original action sports brand and
advocate for creative expression is proud to announce that with the
help of over 20 non-profit partners, the brand was able to
commemorate the third-annual Vans Checkerboard Day on November 18 by encouraging more than 18,000 fans
to leverage creative self-expression to better our communities
around the world through events and activities across art, action
sports, music, and film.
Some of the regional activations included:
- Colectivo Tomate worked with the Mexico City community to transform a
skatepark, keeping the local skateboarding scene. The community
also created a mural painting while enjoying art workshops and
skateboarding showcases.
- Sustainable Coastlines created an interactive art piece about
plastic pollution with the community at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii while completing a beach cleanup.
- Groundswell met at Middle School 664 in Brooklyn to create a mural and host a
printmaking activation for kids and the local community.
- JUJU and Surf Ghana hosted a variety of activations at Besua
Beach in Ghana. Activities
included a beach clean-up, free surf lessons, an art performance,
film screening and custom culture workshop.
- The Indigo Youth Movement brought together the Cape Town, South Africa community to complete
a mural painting, participate in gardening and host a tie-dye
workshop and kids skate lesson with the Vans team.
- Hackney Bumps hosted an event at the new skate obstacle created
by Concrete Commanders Betong Park and inspired by designs skaters
in the community had submitted leading up to Vans Checkerboard Day.
The event also included graffiti painting, giveaways, and a design
submission showcase.
- Girls in Film hosted its own mini film festival welcoming the
community in London to meet fellow
filmmakers and skateboarders including community screenings,
industry discussions and a networking party.
To further this mission to drive positive change, more than
$1 million was donated by Vans
and The Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation, to 15 regional
charities and global partner DoSomething.org to support the mission
of revitalizing communities around the world.
"Now almost two years into a global pandemic, community
connectivity and public spaces have been in direct need of
support," says Doug Palladini, Vans
Global Brand President. "As a brand that champions the power of
creativity, it was important for us to utilize our third annual
Vans Checkerboard Day as not just our biggest philanthropic moment
of the year but to proactively take action through creative
endeavors that drive positive change all around us. Whether fans
participated in regional events, the TikTok challenge or showed
support for the movement by wearing the Checkerboard pattern, each
individual reinforced that we stand for something that makes the
world a better place."
This year's global partners were
GoodPush, Groundswell, Sustainable Coastlines
Hawaii, Colectivo Tomate, Nations Skate
Youth, Dignity for Children, Another Way of
Seeing, ArtDream, Skateboard Academy, Hackney
Bumps, Juju Surf Club, Indigo Youth Movement, Girls
in Film, Jukebox Collective and The Hub. Each of the
15 regional partners received $50,000
USD from The Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides
Foundation or via a direct donation from Vans to continue
their impact. Vans also donated $250,000 to its global partner
DoSomething.org, with $25,000 going
toward scholarships.
Vans Fans donated a total of 5 million of their own Vans
Family points through the Vans app to raise an additional
$25,000 for DoSomething.org
scholarships and shared how they sported their checkerboard and
supported their community on November
18 through the #VansCheckerboardDay challenge on TikTok
which garnered over 11 billion video views.
Since the inception of Vans Checkerboard Day in 2019, Vans has
donated more than $3 million to
creative charities globally, enabling creative expression in
communities around the world. Vans believes that creativity is an
essential part of being human and that everyone should be able to
express themselves through the unique mediums that come from action
sports, art, music and street culture. The Vans Checkerboard Fund
at Tides Foundation was established to support Vans' ability to
provide monetary support to nonprofit organizations that provide
the skills, support and opportunities needed to build a more
equitable society where all have the opportunity to realize their
creative potential. Organizations can visit
www.vans.com/checkerboardday to learn more.
About Vans
Vans®, a VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC)
brand, is the original action sports footwear, apparel and
accessories brand. Vans® authentic collections are sold
in 97 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and
international offices. Vans® has over 2,000 retail
locations globally including owned, concession and partnership
doors. The Vans® brand promotes creative self-expression
in youth culture across action sports, art, music and street
culture, and delivers progressive platforms such as
the Vans Checkerboard Day, Vans Park Series, Vans
Triple Crown of Surfing®, Vans Custom Culture,
and Vans' cultural hub and international music
venue, House of Vans.
Vans, "Off The Wall" Since '66
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