Grind Out Hunger Opens the First Indoor Skate Park in Santa Cruz Wednesday

It was an odd mix, to say the least.

There were button-down-shirt and tie-and-jacket people from the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce mixing with tattoo'd skaters flying off ramps on day-glo skateboards in what may be the only indoor skate park of it's kind in Northern California.

Grind Out Hunger officially opened its 41st Avenue store Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony, food and skateboard exhbitions.

There were famous surfers and snow boarders mixing with the mayor and city councilmembers. There was Kim Moriarity, the wife of Jay Moriarity, the subject of the movie Chasing Mavericks. And Marissa Hushaw, the famous snow boarder. And eye-popping artist Jimbo Phillips, whose son, Colby, was signing the new painted skateboard he made to sell to raise money for fighting hunger.

Mayor Don Lane was there, with Vice Mayor Hilary Bryant and Councilwoman Lynn Robinson. There were reps from Santa Cruz Toyota and Pono Grill and Yogurtland, which have all been Grind Out Hunger sponsors.

The assortment of people said a lot for the ringmaster, Danny Keith, a skate and surf shop owner who has devoted his life to the Second Harvest Food Bank and his spinoff organization focused on a younger demographic, Grind Out Hunger.

Keith is a bridge between the disparate worlds, trying to get a once apathetic younger generation motivated early to work with government and business to take on one of the most challenging problems today: feeding hungry kids and families.

The fact that he drew so many people out to the new store on 41st Avenue was a testament to his progress. Keith comes off as Santa Cruz's answer to George Bailey in the holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. He knows everyone in town, it seems and will do whatever he can to help them.

Keith's story was picked up in Huffington Post, which voted him its "Greatest Person of the Day."

The store will have classes and demonstrations, give bands a place to play and sell skate and surf boards. All the profits will go to the nonprofit Second Harvest Food Bank.

"This is a place where kids can express themselves all while being philanthropic and an advocate for their community. If we encourage and ask them while they are young it will resonate within them for a lifetime," said Keith, "The secret ingredient is to ASK them for help not tell them. Everything you see in this facility and going forward is what the kids wanted. It is all for them."

Just barely two weeks ago the Santa Cruz Warriors made an announcement of their partnership with Grind Out Hunger read all about it here. 

Aptly named Grind Out Hunger Headquarters will be open Wednesday to Sunday 12pm to 6pm, $3 hourly skate sessions with a signed and notarized waiver available for download from website. Birthday parties and skate lessons are available as well. The kids of Santa Cruz County have raised over 1.5 million meals though Grind Out Hunger.