The Medicine Hat Skateboard Association gives back to our community in many ways, including bottle drives donations, and cleaning up litter downtown. However, their commitment to community service extends beyond Canada’s borders, as they embark on a humanitarian journey in early January. They are going to Mexico, with 30 youth skateboarders in tow.
The Skateboard Association first made a humanitarian trip to Ensenada, Mexico in 2018. Now they’re going back with some fresh faces, such as 14 year old Keidis Kruk.
“When we started planning this trip all the older people that went on the trip before told us just how fun it was and how life changing it could be,” explains Kruk. “And I just didn’t want to miss out on it.”
Over the years, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association has made three trips to Mexico and one to Nigeria.
“I’ve never been out of Alberta actually, so it’s going to be a big trip for me,” says Kruk.
In Mexico, the skateboarders will help build houses with Homes of Hope, a part of the organization Youth with a Mission. They will also spend time assisting at a girls home, that takes young girls out of sex trafficking. Michaela Burgess is the treasurer with MHSA, and was on the 2018 Ensenada trip.
“It makes you feel very grateful for what we have, because these people who have very little, you go down there, and they are so happy.” says Burgess. “You’re like, ‘wow, sometimes I’m pretty ungrateful for this life that I have.”
Burgess says she’s looking forward to returning in 2024, connecting with more locals and hearing their stories.
“When we were at the girls home they had like a little fiesta where we had like tacos and stuff and then they played music and it was just really fun,” Burgess explains.
This will also be a chance for the Skateboard Association to bond with each other.
“We’re definitely really close, MHSA is like family, we’re just always hanging out. We’re always at the skate park together at meetings or doing something,” says Kruk.
To facilitate this journey, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association needs to raise about $30,000. The initial fundraising effort is a bottle drive that starts tomorrow at Ecole St. John Paul II school, running from 11 am to 3 pm. On December 3, there will be a silent auction.
Source: Chat News Today
