The A.skate Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides children with autism the opportunity to be a part of our social world through skateboarding. They hold clinics for children with autism at no cost to the families, give grants to children with autism for skateboard gear, and promote awareness and educate families about the skateboard industry. Five years ago 1:150 children were diagnosed with autism. Today 1:91 children are diagnosed with autism, 1:58 of which are boys.

Children with autism often struggle with the ability to follow directions, play on a team, and many require that activities be performed on their own terms. Skateboarding is a great fit for kids with autism! No team, no coach, just self-driven improvement.

Although A.Skate is based in Alabama they offer clinics across the nation. We invite you to contact them directly to find out more information. They are always looking for volunteers and it's a great cause.

Here's something you can do today—right now—to help A.Skate in a big way. Head over to the Pepsi Refresh Project and vote for the A.Skate Foundation. There is $25,000 at stake for this important organization so your vote is very important. It only takes a second and you can vote via your Facebook login or whatever...it's quick. (For extra credit spread the word.)

Do it now!

(There are also a number of skatepark projects looking for Pepsi money and you can vote for more than one project...so if you see something else there that you like, vote! It's your duty and privilege as a citizen of the world.)

Love him or hate him there is no doubt that Rob Dyrdek has joined the pantheon of skateboarders who have become widely recognizable by the general public. And why shouldn’t he be with two television programs behind him and a track record of putting skateparks at the forefront of his world vision.

When the skatepark at Kettering, Ohio was built it set a new standard in skatepark design. More importantly it was the catalyst needed for thousands of ordinary skaters to approach their Parks Departments and City Halls and declare that THIS is what they want. We can thank Dyrdek’s Kettering Plaza for the newest generation of skatepark advocates.

Most people would be happy with a legacy like Kettering. Not Dyrdek. His list of goals addresses almost every aspect of today’s skateboarding environment…create the “NBA of competitive skateboarding”, reposition Los Angeles as the Skateboarding Capital of the World, attract mass-market sponsors to skateboarding, (beyond the usual suspects of Nike), and ultimately leave behind a skateboarding environment that is stronger than it was before.