• Sports News

Ben Harper and Top Skate/BMX Pros to Perform At Tony Hawk’s Skateparks Benefit

Singer-songwriter, musician, and Tony Hawk Foundation Board Member Ben Harper will entertain guests at the upcoming third-annual DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks benefit in Las Vegas, hosted by the Tony Hawk Foundation in support of its mission to create free, quality skateparks for at-risk youth throughout the U.S. Harper will be joined on the bill by Tony Hawk and friends, who will ride Tony’s personal ramp during an intimate Vert Demo.

The DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks fundraiser will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Red Rock Casino ~ Resort ~ Spa in Las Vegas, NV. The family-oriented, carnival-style event will feature interactive activities, food, games, and live and silent auctions with one-of-a-kind items and opportunities. Ben Harper’s performance will be preceded by the Vert Demo, in which Hawk will share the ramp with top riders Andy Macdonald, Mat Hoffman, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Elliot Sloan, Kevin Staab, and 14-year-old wunderkind Mitchie Brusco.

Ben Harper, a committed member of the Tony Hawk Foundation Board of Directors, will offer guests an illuminating, up-close and personal musical experience. Ben has earned two Grammys and just released a new album, Give Till It’s Gone. He is celebrated not only for his talent, but also for his activism and philanthropy, supporting a wide range of causes from the environment and at-risk youth to poverty and hunger.

Ben Harper joins an impressive list of supporters of the Tony Hawk Foundation. Past performers include blink 182, Jane’s Addiction, Social Distortion, Rancid, Pennywise, X, and most recently The Black Keys, who performed at the 8th annual Tony Hawk Foundation event in Beverly Hills earlier this month.

DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks is Co-Chaired by Tony Hawk and fellow THF Board Member and skate legend Mike Vallely, with other notable supporters including Andre Agassi, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Ron Burkle, Chantal and Stephen Cloobeck, Jamie Lee Curtis, Patrick Dempsey, Jon Favreau, Perry Farrell, Leeza Gibbons, Brian Austin Green, Robin and Danny Greenspun, Ben Harper, Mat Hoffman, Terry Kennedy, Anthony Kiedis, Bobby Kotick, Chuck Liddell, Howie Mandel, Sal Masekela, Lance Mountain, Andrew and Trina Pascal, Andrew Reynolds, David Spade, Bill Walton, and Shaun White.

“I could not be more thrilled to take part in such an amazing cause,” said Ben Harper. “We often forget that today’s youth are America’s future and to empower them today is to build a better tomorrow.”

“I am proud that in only three years we’ve built this event to be a popular destination in a city known for great entertainment,” said Tony Hawk. “Families fly in from around the world to attend, and with Ben Harper playing and the list of top riders joining me on the ramp this year, the event won’t disappoint. And best of all—it’ll help us get more skateparks built for the kids who need them most.”

Tony Hawk launched his Stand Up For Skateparks fundraiser in 2004 with the goal to increase the number of safe, legal, healthy recreational outlets for our youth in low-income communities across the U.S. To-date, the Tony Hawk Foundation has helped fund 493 public skateboard parks in these communities, which now service 3.5-million youth annually. DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks is made possible through the support of Ex Drinks, Activision, Red Rock Casino ~ Resort ~ Spa, Kohl’s, Quiksilver Foundation, Tech Deck, and Sweetwater Video.

Information about DaGeDar Presents Stand Up For Skateparks, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, is available at www.standupforskateparks.org. There you can also view some one-of-a-kind auction items, including signed memorabilia, unique experiences, and much more.

For more information about the benefit and tickets, or to place a proxy bid on any of the amazing auction items, please contact Lily Schwimmer at lily@tonyhawkfoundation.org or (760) 477-2479.