Harold Hunter Foundation (HHF) is a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded in 2007 in honor of professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. S ...

Harold Hunter __NOTOC__ Harold Atkins Hunter (April 2, 1974 – February 17, 2006) was an American professional skateboarder and actor. He played the role of Harold in Larry Clark's 1995 film ''Kids''. Career Hunter was born in New York City and grew up in ...

and dedicated to improving the skateboarding community of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and beyond by supporting and promoting access to skateboarding for underserved youth.

History

Founding

The Harold Hunter Foundation started organically by friends and family who believed there should be a foundation to honor Hunter's life and spirit. Jessica Forsyth, whose sister was best friends with Harold, and her family helped spearhead the founding of the organization alongside Harold's brother Ronald and friend Jefferson Pang.

Programs

Skate Camp Scholarship Program

Beginning in 2007, the Harold Hunter Foundation set out to offer scholarships to

inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...

kids to go to

Woodward Camp Woodward Camp or Camp Woodward is a sleep away summer camp in Woodward, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1970 by Edward Isabelle, who was an All-American gymnast. Named after a small town 35 minutes east of State College, Pennsylvania ...

. Hunter loved camp Woodward when he went, not as a camper, but as a visiting am and pro. By developing a Woodward scholarships program, the HHF set out to extend this opportunity to go to skateboarding camp to underserved youth who might not otherwise have the chance. Since the beginning of the program, the HHF has expanded its scholarships to other skate camps; granting more than 200 need-based scholarships for NYC youth to attend skate camps including: Camp Woodward, the Element YMCA Skate Camp, and the Homage Skateboard Academy.

Harold Hunter Day

Ever year, the Harold Hunter Foundation hosts an annual skate jam honoring the life of Harold Hunter.

Education Initiatives

The HHF programming has expanded beyond offering skate camp scholarships. The HHF now provides a spectrum of community programming and educational experiences geared towards underserved communities.

Panels - HHF in the Classroom

HHF brings skateboarding professionals including

Chad Muska Chad Muska (born May 20, 1977) is an American professional Skateboarding, skateboarder, musician and entrepreneur. In November 2012, Skin Phillips, editor-in-chief of ''Transworld Skateboarding'', described Muska as "one of the most marketable pr ...

, Luis Tolentino, Rodney Smith,

Steve Rodriguez Steven James Rodríguez (born November 29, 1970) is an American baseball coach and former second baseman/shortstop, who is the current hitting coach for the Texas Longhorns. He played college baseball for the Pepperdine Waves from 1991 to 1992. ...

, and others into classroom settings to speak to a range of audiences from school assemblies to selected mentee groups of talented skaters to students with behavioral issues.

KICKFLIP Digital Media Training Program

The Kickflip Digital Media training program is a HHF initiative with an aim to train hard to teach youth digital media skills.

International Service Skate Trips

The Harold Hunter Foundation takes international service skate trips, bringing underprivileged American youth around the world to skate and do skate activism.

Merchandise collaborations

The Harold Hunter Foundation has collaborated with a spectrum of brands including HUF, Adidas, Zoo York, Nike, and others to make merchandise commemorating Harold Hunter with proceeds going to the foundation.

References

{{Authority control Skateboarding Skateboarding organizations Organizations based in New York City Non-profit organizations based in New York City Social welfare charities based in the United States Sports foundations based in the United States