Tony Hawk and Andy Macdonald are two kick-butt skaters who don't just rip it up on the street and in the half-pipe. Tony and Andy partnered up at the 2001 X-Games in Philadelphia to win the gold medal in the vert doubles event for the fifth year in a row. The pair of skating gods have also joined forces to make sure more skate parks get built and to educate the ignorant no-minds who think skateboarders are troublemaking outcasts.
When Tony first started skateboarding as a kid, he found that there were plenty of baseball diamonds and soccer fields - but hardly any skateparks. Once Tony became a world wide celebrity, he formed the Tony Hawk Foundation which provides cash to help build public skateparks around the United States. The foundation works with cities and towns to make sure parks are designed and built properly so kids don't get hurt while skating.
There are more than 11 million people in the US that skateboard, but there's only about 600 skateparks. That means many kids get yelled at or even arrested for skating on the streets because they have nowhere else to go. Tony Hawk and his foundation are trying to educate people so they understand that building a skatepark is a great way to get kids exercising instead of sitting around like slobs stuffing their face with ice cream in front of cartoon reruns.
Tony's vert partner, Andy Macdonald, has also been doing his share of good deeds for the skate community. Andy does public service announcements for the Partnership for Drug Free America. In 1999, the Partnership invited Andy to Washington, DC to meet former president, Bill Clinton at a press conference. Andy cruised through the marble floors of the White House on his board then spent five minutes campaigning for skateboarder's rights before he introduced President Clinton. "It's ridiculous that I could skate inside the White House but if I skated on the sidewalk, I could get arrested," says Andy.
Andy loves to read and encourages kids to pick up books, rather than turning on the TV. After he wins a skateboarding event, Andy gives away his board to the first kid who can show him a library card. Tony and Andy may make huge money from winning events and sponsorship deals but they're still looking out for the millions of kids who just skateboard for fun.
For more info on Tony Hawk, head to www.tonyhawk.com.
Do you know someone who's done something helpful for a good cause? They could be your favorite singer, your teacher or even a friend. We'd love to hear about them, so
