AST Dew Tour Announces “AST Drops In” Charity Initiative

The AST Dew Tour, the world’s premier season-long action sports tour, today announced AST Drops In, the tour’s new national charity initiative, will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Portland when the Tour comes to Portland for the Vans Invitational on August 16-19.  As part of the announcement, BMX star Cameron White today taught a special BMX clinic at Glenhaven Skatepark to children from the Boys & Girls Club of Portland.  The third event of the AST Dew Tour’s 2007 season, the Vans Invitational will be held at Portland’s Rose Quarter.       

AST Drops In will work with children from the Boys and Girls Club of Portland. As a way to introduce them to action sports, the Tour will provide donations of equipment, with support from Mongoose BMX bikes, Goods BMX shop in Portland, and Crash Pads Inc., along with funds to incorporate action sports into their daily activities.  Through a relationship with Charity Folks, a leading online marketplace for nonprofit fundraising, the AST Dew Tour will auction off memorabilia and experiential items from Dew Tour athletes and partners.  All proceeds from the online charity auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Portland.  The Boys & Girls Club of Portland will also receive 1,000 Thursday Dew Tour tickets on behalf of Christenson Electric.  

The AST Drops In auction is in progress now.  Fans can log on to www.charityfolks.com/astdropsin to bid on rare action sports collectibles ranging from two-time Dew Cup winner Ryan Sheckler’s autographed skateboard, which he will be using in competition at the Panasonic Open, to an autographed helmet from 2006 BMX Dirt Dew Cup champion Anthony Napolitan.  Fans can also bid on one-of-a-kind, experiential items, such as a personal FMX pit tour and track walk that includes four Action Zone passes (VIP reserved seating at Finals) and exclusive AST Dew Tour merchandise.  All memorabilia auctions for the Vans Invitational will close on Wednesday, August 15 and bidding for all Vans Invitational experiential items will close by Monday, August 20. 

“AST Drops In is proud to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland,” said Wade Martin, president and general manager of the AST Dew Tour.  “It’s rewarding for the Dew Tour and its athletes to have the opportunity to give back to the communities that host our events.”  

“I’m excited to be a part of AST Drops In and work with the Dew Tour and it’s partners to give back to local children’s charities,” said AST Dew Tour BMX athlete Cameron White.  “It was an honor to work with the children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland and I look forward to coming back to Portland this August.”

“The Boys & Girls Club of Portland is thrilled to have the support of AST Drops In,” said Angela Frizzo of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland. “AST Drops In provides children who might never be exposed to BMX or skateboarding, with the opportunity to get involved with action sports.”

A number of the AST Dew Tour sponsors will also support AST Drops In through a variety of ways.  Right Guard will donate $5 for every Mohawk and $1 for every “faux-hawk” their barber shaves into fans’ hair at the Right Guard Xtreme Xperience in the Tour’s Festival Village, up to a $10,000 donation over the course of the 2007 season.  Mongoose will provide meet-n-greet opportunities with Mongoose team athletes, signed memorabilia, and various action sports equipment at each AST Dew Tour event.  Ogio will provide product and signed athlete memorabilia from their large roster of team riders while Freshpark will provide one ramp and one rail to a local children’s charity in each Dew Tour host city.  TransWorld will also contribute magazine subscriptions to TransWorld Skateboarding, TransWorld Motocross, and Ride BMX in each market. 

Entering its third year, the AST Dew Tour is the most watched and attended action sports property in the world.  Attendance for the 2006 AST Dew Tour totaled nearly 250,000 and an average of 38 million viewers tuned in via NBC and USA each year.  The top athletes in the world will take part in this year’s Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup which will be awarded in Orlando at season’s end to champions in each of the six disciplines.  The 2006 Dew Cup winners include Nate Adams (Freestyle Motocross), Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert), Anthony Napolitan (BMX Dirt), Daniel Dhers (BMX Park), Bucky Lasek (Skateboard Vert) and Ryan Sheckler (Skateboard Park).