Zephyrhills Skatepark was again the mecca for hundreds of skateboarders Saturday competing in the Grind For Life Series event.
Zephyrhills is a first stop in the series that will hold events at other Florida skateparks, plus competitions in Texas, California and Michigan.
Skaters of all ages from through the Southeastern United States competed in the event that crowned winners in street and bowl disciplines. The series winners accumulate points toward an annual banquet presented by event host The Boardr, a skateboard events production company out of Tampa.
Grind for Life is a charitable organization that raises money through skateboarding events to help cover travel expenses for cancer patients. In many case, insurances cover treatments, but don’t cover travel costs.
Mike Rogers, the founder of Grind for Life, is a two-time cancer survivor. He isn’t letting his battle slow him down. He is allowing it to inspire him to inspire others.
“We’re taking all this good energy you see around here and help save people’s lives,” Rogers said. “Over the last 20 years, a lot of money has gone into research for great cures of rare cancers, but sometimes those cures aren’t in your state.
“How do you get there? How can you afford it? We do a lot of events and skateboarder raise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. We do it a little at a time like all these people are doing here in Zephyrhills today.”