Virgil Abloh To Launch Skateboarding Program For Chicago Youth

Virgil Abloh wants to make sure the young people in Chicago have something productive to do during their free time.

Source: Daniel Zuchnik / Getty

In partnership with DGK and the Chill Foundation, Virgil Abloh is providing custom skateboards, skating lessons, and protective equipment to children who are members of select Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

25 custom DGK boards and sets of protective gear have been provided for free usage at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Club and the Louis L. Valentine Club, according to a press release. The Chill Foundation’s role in all of this comes with the youth development program providing free outdoor courses for groups comprised of members between the ages of 10 and 18. This program is set to launch on November 12.

Abloh and Stevie Williams, DGK’s founder, first joined forces with a limited run of skateboards that donated proceeds to Saved by Skateboarding. DGK was started by Williams back in 2002 to give opportunities to potential skaters from less advantaged backgrounds. Similarly, the Chill Foundation defines itself as “a positive youth development program that inspires youth to overcome challenges through boardsports.”

Interestingly enough, Virgil himself is an alum of the Boys & Girls Club. For the designer, this donation was motivated by a professed desire to “ensure youth in underserved local communities can experience [the] fast-growing sport” of skateboarding.

The new initiative is yet another charitable deed from the Off-White designer who’s been giving back to the community alot as of recent. Earlier this month, Virgil teamed up with Mercedes to raise $160k for charity. In July, the fashion enthusiast created the “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund which aims at providing $1 million in support of scholarships for Black students, along with mentoring and support.

In a statement, Virgil explained why the new campaign is imperative for Black students looking to venture into the fashion industry.

“The Abloh Fund’s mission is to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students of academic promise of Black, African-American, or African descent.”

Big up Virgil! We love to see it!