AST Dew Tour Announces "AST Drops In" Charity Initative in Cleveland, OH
June 4, 2007
AST Dew Tour Announces "AST Drops In" Charity Initative in Cleveland, OH.
Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland Named Beneficiary of Online Auction
NEW YORK – JUNE 4, 2007 – The AST Dew Tour, the world's premier season-long action sports tour, today announced AST Drops In, the tour’s new national charity initiative, will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland when the tour comes to Cleveland for the Right Guard Open on July 19-22. As part of the announcement, BMX star Steven McCann today taught a special BMX clinic at Chengaworld Brookpark to children from the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. The second event of the AST Dew Tour’s 2007 season, the Right Guard Open will be held at Cleveland’s North Coast Harbor.
AST Drops In will work with children from the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland. As a way to introduce them to action sports, the Tour will provide donations of equipment, with support from Mongoose BMX bikes, along with funds to incorporate action sports into their daily activities. Through a relationship with Charity Folks, a leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, the AST Dew Tour will auction off memorabilia and experiential items from Dew Tour athletes and partners. All proceeds from the online charity auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland.
The AST Drops In auction will begin today, Monday, June 4. Fans can log on to www.charityfolks.com/astdropsinto bid on rare action sports collectibles ranging from two-time Dew Cup winner Ryan Sheckler’s autographed skateboard, which he will be using in competition at the Panasonic Open, to an autographed helmet from 2006 BMX Dirt Dew Cup champion and Ohio native Anthony Napolitan. Fans can also bid on one-of-a-kind, experiential items, such as a personal FMX pit tour and track walk that includes four Action Zone passes (VIP reserved seating at Finals) and exclusive AST Dew Tour merchandise. All memorabilia auctions for the Right Guard Open will close on Monday, July 23 and bidding for all Right Guard Open experiential items will close by Wednesday, July 18.
“AST Drops In is proud to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland,” said Wade Martin, president and general manager of the AST Dew Tour. “It’s rewarding for the Dew Tour and its athletes to have the opportunity to give back to the communities that host our events.”
"I'm excited to be a part of AST Drops In and work with the Dew Tour and it's partners to give back to local children's charities," said AST Dew Tour BMX athlete Steven McCann. "I would encourage everyone to log on to the auction, start bidding and help support the kids of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland are thrilled with and very thankful for the opportunities provided to our members by the AST Dew Tour,” said Kara Copeland of the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. “Keeping kids engaged in positive programming and encouraging an active lifestyle are of great importance to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland in continuing our mission of enabling all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible adults.”
A number of the AST Dew Tour sponsors will also support AST Drops In through a variety of ways. Right Guard will donate $5 for every Mohawk and $1 for every “faux-hawk” their barber shaves into fans’ hair at the Right Guard Xtreme Xperience in the Tour’s Festival Village, up to a $10,000 donation over the course of the 2007 season. Mongoose will provide meet-n-greet opportunities with Mongoose team athletes, signed memorabilia, and various action sports equipment at each AST Dew Tour event. Ogio will provide product and signed athlete memorabilia from their large roster of team riders while Freshpark will provide one ramp and one rail to a local children’s charity in each Dew Tour host city. TransWorld will also contribute magazine subscriptions to TransWorld Skateboarding, TransWorld Motocross, and Ride BMX in each market.