Author: José Vadi

Joy Rides

In 2014, shaken by a viral video showing teens harassing and humiliating a boy with autism, two local women turned their anguish into action. Combining their experience in the nonprofit world with their passion for skateboarding, they found a decidedly unconventional way to help children with physical and cognitive challenges—hosting skateboarding clinics, in the hopes of fostering confidence and community. Now beginning its second decade, with the founders passing the torch to their like-minded teammates, SkateMD is once again ramping up its mission to spread kindness and spark joy, one totally gnarly grind at a time.