Tag Archives: winter

Shred Love Celebrates 5 Years of Service

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ShredLOve5yr

Join us in celebrating our fifth year of service, as we couldn’t have done it without you! I’m extremely proud of the progress we’ve made as a group and as individuals. Collectively we’ve worked together to expose inner city and at-risk youth to snowboarding, developed the leadership skills of all of our participants, and tackled some of the roughest terrain on our snowboards and mountain bikes. Yet individually, we’ve all faced some of our greatest fears and overcame many obstacles. I’ve had the pleasure to share in many of the triumphs of the group; seeing a newbie link turns at the end of a lesson, watching our older students become group leaders, and listening to the group’s stories on the bus ride home is a reward in itself.

I started Shred Love to give back to my community and yet my community has given so much more to me in return. I’ve learned a lot within the last 5 years about community, relationships, problem solving and myself. There were many times I wanted to quit because of funding and managing the business side of Shred Love, in addition to balancing my family, my day job; my life in general. Through each hurdle you, our supporters, created a way for Shred Love to not only continue, but to also grow.

May the next 5 years allow us to continue to grow and serve more deserving youth and create many more life long memories!

Cheers!

Liz

Learn to Ride 2014

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Our 2014 program kicked off on Sunday, January 26th at Windham Mountain. January is also the official Learn to Ride month and with a group of 37 youth participants, we did just that! The group is a mix of returning students and newbies, all with varying riding skills. This year, we also had a volunteer that was new to snowboarding. Our volunteer Matt, usually enjoys skiing, but took on the challenge of not only learning to snowboard, but to also chaperone a group of beginners. In addition, volunteer Shirley was also a newbie to snowboarding. It was interesting to see how the volunteers and the students would switch roles in motivating each other.

After every outing, we ask the group what they have learned new or discovered about themselves. Answers typically vary, but most feel that their biggest challenge of the day was continuing to try to snowboard after falling. Some cited they needed a pep talk to continue, others felt determined to get it, but all agreed, giving up wasn’t an option. Determination at its finest!

Shred Love 2014

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Happy New Year everyone! We hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays and is now ready to get some riding in. Why? Because Shred Love’s 2014 Learn to Ride session kicks off this month! Our dates this year are Sundays: January 26th, February 2nd, and February 9th. Due to the Super Bowl being held in New Jersey this year (blah!), we have to schedule an alternative event. Some of the board members have suggested bowling or ice skating, however we would like to you hear from our riders and their parents/guardians, before we finalize our plans for 2/2/2014. What would you like to do? The event must be local and be completed by 4pm.

Our Learn to Ride program is the same as every year. Students do not need to know how to snowboard to register, but must commit to attending all of our dates. Shred Love is open to girls and boys, ages 8 – 18 years old. All participants must bring lunch or money to buy their lunch at Windham Mountain. A slice of pizza and juice is approximately $10.

Parents will receive a text message when we are approximately an hour away from our pickup/drop-off location. Parents, please be prompt will picking up students!

Our Learn to Ride program is free to our participants. We only ask that you consider making a donation to help cover the costs to run this program. Transportation costs alone for each participant is $112. Donations of prepackaged snacks, breakfast foods, juices, water, napkins, and monetary donations are greatly appreciated (and tax deductible!).

If you would like to volunteer for any of our outings, please send us an email at volunteer@shredlove.org/wordpress.

 

Shred Love’s 2014 Learn to Ride Program

Sundays: January 26 and February 9, 2014 at Windham Mountain

Pickup/Drop-off Location: W33rd St & Broadway, Bayonne, NJ

Drop off – 6am

Return – 7pm

All participants will receive snowboard pants, gloves, face masks, goggles, lift tickets, and rental equipment (snowboard and boots). All lessons are instructed by Windham Mountain’s instructors. Permission slips will be emailed on Wednesday, 1/22 and must be signed prior to student boarding the bus. Students must bring lunch or buy lunch at the mountain.

Click here to register now! Use session number 2206 and select Shred Love as your youth agency.

Please feel free to email me at eroyster@shredlove.org/wordpress with any questions and/or concerns you may have.

See you on the slopes!

Liz

Shred Love at Hunter Mountain

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Hunter Mountain is hosting Shred Love every Saturday in March! First time snowboarders, ages 7- 16 are welcomed to join our Learn to Ride program at Hunter. Registration is open now!  Select “Shred Love” as the Youth Agency and enter “1992” as the session ID.

 We’re looking forward to meeting you new riders! Interested in volunteering for these sessions? Drop us a line.

 

 

 

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!

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!

Day 2 at Windham Mountain

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Armani Rae

Day 2 at Windham Mountain provided Shred Love with new challenges: Linking turns & Chairlifts. Our core value for the day was Discipline. Not to be confused with punishment, the discipline we are referring to is related to self discipline; finding the strength within to push on and achieve your goals. Usually people tend to quit when the roads gets rough, but not our group. As a group, everyone pushed on to perfect linking their turns and stopping.

Savion

Our volunteer Shanelle giving it a second try.

Xavier & Akitto

 Once it clicked, they were off. : )

Halimah

Isaiah

Tyson with a little assistance from Armani Rae

Mel’s group took their first ride on the chair lift to conquer K Lift Triple (length: 400′ and vertical 50′) with the help of Windham’s snowboard instructor Mike Hecht. 

L-R: Edward, Mel, Adam, Brandon, and Windham Instructor Mike Hecht

As usual, the day ended with smiles.

Jerrie

Armani Rae & Masai

and more smiles : )

To view more of our pictures, check us out on Facebook. Until next time.