Tag Archives: nonprofit

Get to Know Zaakirah!

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This week, get to know our second season participant Zaakirah.

Name: Zaakirah Muhammad

About me: I love animals, hanging out with my BFF Mani, paint my nails, read and write poems, and I love to make new friends.

Besties - Zaakirah & Armani Rae

What made you join Shred Love? I joined Shred Love to go snowboarding.

How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love changed my life because it help me to not be afraid to try new things and I met new friends.

Firsts
First time I started walking, I was 10 months old.
First time I learned how to write my name, I was 1 year old.
First time I got a puppy, I was 6 years old.
First time I went to acting class, I was 10 years old.
First time I learned how to snowboard, I was 9 years old.

Get to Know Armani Rae!

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Get to know the newest big boss at Shred Love! Armani Rae started off as a participant and is now helping out with recruiting more girls and getting them hooked on snowboarding and photography.

Name: Armani Rae
About me: I’m very active, funny, and pretty. I do gymnastics and love to dance. I love old school music, R&B, hip hop,and pop.
What made you join Shred Love? I always had an inkling for snowboarding.
How has Shred Love changed your life? I met new people and learned how to go down the hill.
Firsts
First time I won a cheerleading competition, I was 10 years old.

Armani Rae & Coach Timeka

First time I got on a plane, I went to Florida.
First song I wrote is titled, “Live,Laugh, Love”.
First dance recital I was in, I was 6 years old.
First cartwheel I did I was 7 years old.

Check back Tuesday, January 4th for our next feature in the Get to Know Us series!

Get to Know Shanelle!

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Get to know Shanelle, our second year teen mentor!
Name: Shanelle Thornberry
About me: I am an 18 year old teen mentor. I enjoy art, music, skateboarding, and snowboarding. I am an inspiring DJ and artist. I aspire to work in the music business or open my own art gallery. I love to travel and make life an adventure.

Halloween 2009

What role do you play at Shred Love? My role at Shred Love is a teen mentor, photographer, and assistant.
Why did you become a part of Shred Love? I became a member of Shred Love because I wanted to be a part of a positive movement, a movement that gave kids, who were once just like me, opportunities that do not come around often.
How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love has changed my life because I have learned you could make something so small into something big, have a huge impact, and important.
Firsts
First time I drove, I had my license for 2 weeks.
First time I DJ’ed a party, the speakers blew.
First time I skateboarded, I was 15.
First time I snowboarded, I got a face full of snow.
First time I went away without my family, was my 8th grade class trip to Disney World.

Get to Know Savion!

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Shred Love would like to introduce you to Savion!

Savion Bayo Drayton

Name: Savion Bayo Drayton

About me: I’m a snowboarder, scientist, and a flag football champion!

What made you join Shred Love? The enjoyment of snowboarding.

How has Shred Love changed your life? It showed me the thrills of snowboarding down the mountain.

Tyson, Savion, & DeKarr

Firsts

First time I went snowboarding was with Shred Love.

First pet I had was Lucky the Cat.

First skateboard park I went to is in Flemington, NJ.

First time playing flag football, my team won the championship.

First job was at Jack’s, by my grandmother’s house.

My first camping trip

Chillin with my little brother, Tyson

Check back next Tuesday to see who’s next!

Get to Know Us

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Have we met?

No? Well its time we do! Over the next couple of weeks, we will do a “Get to Know Us” feature on the people behind Shred Love. To get the ball rolling, I decided to start with myself, so here goes!

Name: Elizabeth Royster but everyone calls me Liz

About me: I’m the proud mommy of Shanelle, Savion & Tyson. By day, I’m a Senior Quality Assurance Test Analyst aka a software tester, however I’m Shred Love 24/7, ask anyone! = )  I grew up in a pink house in Jersey City with my family – Mom & Dad, my brother Omar, and sisters: Poodie & Jerrie. Wait there’s more, it was a big pink house and a lot of family lived with us, so there were my godbrothers: Lamar, Tykwan, Brandon, and Andre, their mothers Bonnie and Alycia, and all of our pets: dogs, cats, birds, fish, newts, hamsters, guinea pigs, snakes, a rooster… ok too many to remember, lol! As an adult, I only have a few pets: fish, a dog named Pebbles, and a turtle named Slim Thug. People find my laugh and sneeze pretty memorable, lol! I love music, art (I can draw and paint), traveling, knitting, swimming (still learning), reading, and of course snowboarding. 

My daughter Shanelle

My son Savion

My youngest son Tyson

 

What role do you play at Shred Love? I’m the Founder and Executive Director of Shred Love. I should probably list more titles because of all of the work and dedication it takes to make Shred Love a success but I will stop there, no need to make this a 5 page post, lol!

My birthday at Ten East!

Why did you become a part of Shred Love? I became a part of Shred Love because its easy to sit back and point out what’s wrong with the world but its a lot more rewarding to actually change the world.

My "little" sis, Monique & I (Little from Big Brother Big Sister organization)

My "little" sis Monique & I (Little from Big Brothers Big Sisters)

How has Shred Love changed your life? Shred Love has given me the opportunity to give back what so many have given me – a chance. I firmly believe I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and guidance of so many others. At times, I think people put too little value on how a small act of kindness can impact a person’s life. As a teen mother, so many people thought I would fail, almost as if my fate had been sealed. If it wasn’t for the support of a few teachers, friends, and family members, I’m pretty sure life for me would be completely different. Therefore, I feel its only right, that I show others that despite how hard or bad things may seem right now, it can always be better. We are all living proof. One way or another we’ve all had to overcome some obstacles in life and for as long as we live, there will be more. By helping others through those times, we prepare ourselves for the same.

Shred Love has also forced me to set higher goals and become more creative in finding solutions to my problems and that of Shred Love. Our first year panned out to be better than I had ever expected, which to me meant I needed to dream bigger. With all of the success we’ve had so far, I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

Shred Love

Firsts

First time I had ever seen a snowboard, I was 14 years old.

First time I went snowboarding, I was 30 years old and was sore for 3 days.

First trick I landed was a butter.

First day of Shred Love’s learn to ride program in 2010, was the First time I cried on a mountain. = )

Check back next Tuesday to see who’s next!

-Liz

An Epic Night for An Epic Cause

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Our dinner at Soul Flavors on Wednesday, October 20th was a success! The sold event raised money for our 2011 programs and operations, enabling us to serve more youth. The packed house was filled with participants (new and returning) and their parents, volunteers, mentors, teen mentors, and supporters of Shred Love. So let’s start with our raffle winners:

Netta & our first winner, Monica

 

Mrs. Fowlkes with her winnings!

The only guy to win, Rob (he's also one of our new mentors!)

Dr. Coleman won a gift card to Soul Flavors

And since all of our young attendees walked away with gift bags, I’ll waste no time in sharing more pictures from the evening.

Our volunteer Darlene and her son, Adam... yeah he's a rider!

Our future Betties: Natalie & Monique

Our guests

 

Assemblyman Charles Mainor & our Founder, Liz

To see all of the pictures from the evening, check out our Facebook page and if you aren’t already a friend, don’t forget to send a friend request. ; ) 

Special thanks goes out to all of our guests, SOS Outreach, The Hidden Valley Club, Windham Mountain, Soul Flavors, Snowboard Addiction, Assemblyman Charles Mainor, The Jersey Journal, Bayonne Community News, Youngsworld, LLC, and Darlene Sarr. 

'Til next time!

Impacting Youth through Snowboarding

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Up 2 Us recently published it Skiing and Snowboarding Fact Sheet. The fact sheet provides some statistical data on the impact skiing and snowboarding has on youth, further proving the value in skiing & snowboarding programs like Shred Love.

Check it out! Skiing and Snowboarding Factsheet

Got Snowboard Addiction?

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Snowboard Addiction  has teamed up with Shred Love to present to you a 10% discount on all of their products by simply using the discount code “shredlove”. When you use the “shredlove” discount code, Snowboard Addiction will donate 20% of all sales generated from the discount code to us. So that’s 10% off for you and a 20% donation for us!

Snowboard Addiction specializes in online coaching and freestyle coaching programs via DVD or download at affordable prices. The DVDs and downloadable programs are backed with a 120% money back guarantee. If you don’t learn anything that dramatically improves your riding, Snowboard Addiction will refund you an additional 20% more than your purchase price, however we at Shred Love are positive you will see the value in their products.

Shred Love plans to use their programs for the 2010/2011 winter session, because for our second year, it’s all about progression! All of the lessons/videos are available in regular and goofy. Not sure what regular and goofy means? Then start with Snowboard Addiction’s Learn to Ride program.

In the meantime, check out Snowboard Addiction’s free Spinning Lesson and see for yourself.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8320867&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Advanced Spinning Part 1 (Regular) from SnowboardAddiction.com on Vimeo.

Shred Love at the US Open

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On Thursday, 3/18, Shred Love headed up to Stratton in Vermont for the US Open.  The 28th annual snowboarding event gave both amateurs and the world’s best riders the opportunity to compete. It also gave us the opportunity to meet up with other nonprofit snowboarding organizations.

We were very fortunate to have met Danny Hairston of Chill.

Founder Liz & Chill's Danny Hairston

Founder Liz & Chill's Danny Hairston

Board member Mel & Chill's Danny Hairston

We also met up with Brian Deka Paupaw of Hoods to Woods and Olympic winner and US Open Women’s Half Pipe winner, Kelly Clark.

Mel, Kelly Clark, & Liz

 And Olympic winner Hannah Teter before the Women’s Half Pipe competition.

Mel, Olympic winner Hannah Teter, & Liz

Seeing the Black & Night Jam and Half Pipe competition live was epic. You really get to appreciate those backside rodeos and double corks in person. I was also able to snap a pic of Kelly Clark’s victory run, its not best because I took the picture from my cell phone but it does manage to capture the moment.

Kelly Clark's victory run

I think its safe to say that wraps up the 2010 riding season for me. Until next winter, Shred Love!

~Liz

'Til next time!

Shred Love’s First Day at Windham Mountain 1/24/2010

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11 volunteers, 24 students, 2 mini vans, 3 SUVs and 3 hours later, Shred Love attended its first learn to ride session at Windham Mountain.

L-R: Tyler, Tyesha, Arnetta, Jasmine, and Marcel

Our core value for the day was Courage. It took a lot of courage for both the students and the volunteers, as many were first timers as well, to try snowboarding. Despite the long trip, everyone was all smiles and amped to get on their boards.

L-R: Halimah, Jackie, DeKarr, and Issac

L-R: Halimah, Jackie, DeKarr, and Issac

 

L-R: Sharlette, Savion, Zaakirah, Isaiah, and Masai

 

L-R: Ahmaad, Akitto, & Tyson

 The instructors at Windham Mountain were very knowledgeable, understanding and patient, making the group’s first day on the slopes a success! Thanks Windham and SOS Outreach!