Big Congratulations to all the winners of the 2014 Stoked awards!
The Stoked Awards is a celebration of creative individuals determined to close the opportunity gap for inner city youth. It Is Stoked’s most successful event raising hundreds of thousands of dollars enabling the organization to serve thousands of kids through its action sports development programs. On Tuesday December 2nd they honored four amazing humans for their outstanding achievements and contributions throughout the entire year. Many awards were given out, money was raised and everyone was Stoked!!
Winners included.
Mentor– Jyoti Folch Supporter– Jeff Gaites Funder– Florence Wiener Youth– Charles Joseph
Co-Founder – Sal Masekela and Founder– Steve Larosiliere
Sal Opened the event talking a little bit about how he met Steve and got involved with Stoked. After numerous phone calls from Steve he finally got through and the rest was history. Steve simply said “ Its your responsibility to help me help kids that don’t have community and to change their lives through action sports. It will be called STOKED! We can empower these kids to be the humans they will be for the rest of their lives.“ Sal was immedietly on board and showed his support. In ten years together Stoked has helped over 3,500 kids! They have provided them with mentors, after school programs and offer them new experiences through surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. Most importantly they have offered a way for these kids to feel good in a safe environment that allows them to embrace there inner child and achieve their life goals.
With all these things in place Stoked has “Closed the opportunity gap“ Steve reflected a bit on this to say ” There is a disease out there and its called opportunity. Some of us have it and some of us don’t. Those that don’t miss out on a whole spectrum of skills, relationships, experiences and adult role models. Kids need more opportunity and thats the basis of STOKED.“ Stoked has filled these gaps for so many kids and with the help of so many others that have been involved in the last decade it will continue to do so. The Stoked awards is a way to recognize the people that help and give back. A truly inspirational night and we were so happy to be there. As the winners Excepted their awards they all reflected a little bit on what Stoked has done for them.
” Stoked is amazing! It has given me a way to change kids lives. Every time I do something for them the reward is immediate. It was when a kid said to me during a mentor session that “He was so happy to be in place where he felt safe” That really stuck with me. So do what you can when you can, every little bit helps Stoked grow. The more we help the better!” –STOKED Appreciation Award winner– Jeff Gaites
” My first Stoked experience was on a Saturday Snowboarding trip and the kids were so excited. They had so much appreciation for the adults involved and kept saying thank you because with out us they wouldn’t be able to do anything like this… The first person I mentored was Stefan ….Now 4 years later I see him mentoring younger kids…I can visibly see my own impact…Stoked gives adults the opportunity to do good things and give back to the community.”-STOKED Mentor Award Winner– Jyoti Folch
” Stoked is an amazing program…That why we will continue to fund them for the next 3 years…Stoked is teaching character development…Which we all know as children as parents as members of society, we know how valuable character is and how important it is… Hats off to all you Stoked Coaches,Mentors, Staff members, Igniters everyone that is involved. This is a very important value to be spreading to the next generation and Catalog is happy to be a part of it” –Stoked Funder Award Winner– Florence Wiener
” Im So Grateful to be a part of this organization. So Happy. When I woke up from an 11 day coma from getting hit by a car I was paralyzed…I was in a hospital bed and i couldn’t move and I wanted to give up…The following days the Stoked mentors came and continued to come and i started to remember what Stoked did for me and will continue to do for me. An organization that changes lives…The people that work for Stoked are positive people, thats where i got my positive attitude. I saw them, I observed that and applied it to myself and look where I’m at now…Stoked Is different…Every Stoked event i go to I see every Mentor encourage kids and pushing the students to do more than what they think they are capable of… Now I do that, I see potential in people I keep a positive attitude even if i get hit by a car or fall off my skateboard. I keep that positive attitude with everything i do. It is the same encouragement that i got in the hospital…And propelled me to walk out the door two weeks later… THANK YOU STOKED” –Stoked Youth Award Winner– Charles Joseph
The Stoked Awards was a very inspirational evening filled with amazing people, generosity and laughter. The three hour event raised over $50,000 dollars and showed how much people care for the future of our youth. A big thanks goes out to everyone who donated their time, money and love for this amazing organization. Thank you Stoked for everything that you do, It is honor to be a part of it.
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Words and photography; @CMARTPHOTO