Saturday night was a ROCKING one at the Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop. Two local bands came together to play a free Grind Out Hunger benefit show. Kicking off the night was Aptos Jr. High’s Whiplash. The band has 7 members and they played a variety of classic rock covers. The students at Aptos Jr. High were the winners of the Grind Out Hunger Heavy Weight Award this year after raising 16,850 Pounds during their school food drive. Even though their food drive is officially over they are still out in the community raising funds for Grind Out Hunger! Look out for this band around town, we hear that they are going to be playing some more shows in the future. They have talent.
Headlining the show was SPINFARM, a rock band from Marina area.
SPINFARM is composed of 3 band members: Adam Stafford-Drums and Vocals Charlie Porras-Bass and Vocals Mr.X-Guitars and Vocals
guest appearance by Lelia Stafford-Bass guitar
Drummer and vocalist, Adam Stafford contacted Grind Out Hunger a while back asking to do a benefit show. Stoked to be a part of the fight against hunger, SPINFARM came together and played a rocking show for the youth.
Adam’s daughter, Lily jumped in for a song, playing the bass! So rad! She talked to us that evening and is looking to take Grind Out Hunger to her school and make it bigger than ever. She has already created a mini army of friends ready to spread the word and fundraise for the cause. That, my friends, is the spirit of a true hunger fighter.
By the end of the night the event ended up raising 400 pounds of food in money and canned food donations.
Big thanks to the bands that played that night and to everyone that showed up to support them and Grind Out Hunger. Be sure to keep a look out for our next benefit show at the Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop!
Adam Stafford of SPINFARM contacted Grind Out Hunger several months ago eager to put on a benefit show. We told him that when an opportunity popped up we would be sure to get them a show…
well OPPORTUNITY HAS ARRIVED.
On March 10th head on over to Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop to rock out with SPINFARM and Aptos Jr. High School’s Whiplash!
Dont forget to bring a skateboard, the shop’s indoor mini ramp will be open to all.
Feel free to bring Canned food and/or Ca$h donations to the event.
Email Shawn Hatjes with any questions or concerns.
Aptos High School, the first school to embrace Grind Out Hunger back in 2005. When all other schools questioned the brand new program, Aptos took it in and owned it. We know these kids have endless amounts of school pride and sprit. It is this motivation that will bring Aptos High School to the top during this years food drive.
Principal, Casey O’Brien introduced Grind Out Hunger founder, Danny Keith to all 1400+ students in the gym. Danny took the floor and gave his speech to all of the students on how and why they need to step up to help fight this battle against hunger in our community.
Danny emphasized 3 main ways to make their food drive numbers sky rocket:
#1: Bring a bagged lunch to school and donate the $3 that you would have used to purchase a meal on campus to Grind Out Hunger. #2: Take that quarter that you get for change during lunch and drop it into a donation container every day. A quarter = 1 healthy meal. #3: Bring in canned food and drop them in the donation barrels around campus.
We looked at the numbers and found that last year Aptos Jr. High raised 11,500 Pounds. Almost tripling Aptos High’s raise last year of 4,500. We are wanting to see Aptos High to own this program again and be the ones on top. With their student body and faculty, we know they all have more than enough power to do it.
As we left Aptos High we had a teacher run up to us and buy a skateboard. We also has a faculty member say that he had funds that would tack on another 1200 pounds. Thats 1400 pounds right off the bat! Aptos High is already on a roll.
Let see what happens when the kids start bringing in the donations!
We are planning on having a skate event at Aptos High School on Wednesday November 9th at 1pm. This will be our first ever skate event held on a school campus. Students from Aptos as well as all schools within Santa Cruz County are welcome. We will bring our full ramp setup in our NEW 48ft trailer. Students will be allowed to skate as long as they bring in $5 OR 5 Cans to donate that day.
It is required that participants fill out a waiver and bring it to the event in order to skate.
You can download that waiver HERE: Aptos_High_Liability_Release (76)
If you are wanting to donate online you can CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW and make your donation direct to Aptos High School’s food drive numbers…
Aptos High Principal, Casey O'Brien (left) and Grind Out Hunger Founder, Danny Keith.
Grind Out Hunger season is in full effect. We are traveling around the county speaking to schools, encouraging the kids to raise food/money for this years Grind Out Hunger Food Drive. We have been having a lot of positive feedback and all of the kids seem to be fired up! From what we are seeing it seems like they are getting it, they know that they a a huge part of solving the hunger issues we have in our county and beyond.
We thought we would give you all a quick update of our school presentation adventures…
A few weeks ago we sat down with Aptos High School principal, Casey O’Brien and asked him why Aptos Jr. High crushed them in pounds raised for Grind Out Hunger last year. O’Brien, fired up, said that this year they would rock the Grind Out Hunger Food Drive. Their food drive kicks off this Friday, we are traveling over to Aptos High to present to the entire high school in order to get the kids amped and ready. We will also be announcing that we will be having a Skate Jam on their campus in a couple weeks. Our First ever skate jam hosted by a school. This is a HUGE stepping stone for Grind Out Hunger…We will update you all on that bit later.
A couple representatives from Ceiba College Prep came in to Second Harvest Food bank on Tuesday afternoon. They took a tour of the facility, filiming it, in order to create a short video to present to the rest of the students back at the school. They were able to flag down Danny Keith and get him to do a short, personal presentation to the kids on camera asking them to raise food and beat their 1,300 pound mark that they hit last year.
Mission Hill Middle school is always a fun place to visit. Instead of presenting to a room of students we present on Mission Hill TV, which is broadcast to each class throughout the school. We sat in a small room and talked for a while about the Grind Out Hunger Food Drive and how the kids can get involved and raise the most amount of pounds for their school. Mission Hill is excited about selling our Grind Out Hunger wristbands. Each wristband is equivalent to 6 pounds of food! A great way to fund raise!
Monte Vista Middle School, what a great campus and group of kids. We presented to them in their gym and got a phenomenal reaction from every single one. They had a whole assembly prepared showing videos as well as kids explaining to their peers what types of food to bring in to donate. We had a great time with all of those kids, we even had students come up to us giving us cash donations on the spot! How awesome is that!?! We are looking forward to seeing what Monte Vista will do this year after last years 6,000 pounds raised! Lets hit that 8,000 mark shall we? Or maybe 10,000!? You all have the drive and spirit! Let’s do this!
Recording a short video to present to Ceiba College Prep students.
Monte Vista Middle School
Grind Out Hunger founder, Danny Keith, speaking to Monte Vista Middle School.
Students at Monte Vista Middle School present to their peers what types of food to bring in to fill their donation barrels.
It’s that time again folks! The Santa Cruz County Fair is coming to town and that means its the official kick off for the Grind Out Hunger Food Drive! We will be there with our mini half pipe to collect can donations from participating Elementary schools. We will have a table set up with tons of info as well as a place to accept monetary donation. Oh and did we mention we will have Grind Out Hunger wristbands available?
We will be keeping track of every pound of food donated by participating schools. Those numbers will be consolidated into each schools overall Grind Out Hungern Food Drive donations, as well as the overall numbers for 2011. Participating in the Grind Out Hunger Kick-Off is an easy way to get started early on boosting your school’s annual Holiday Food Drive numbers!
Last year, our 2010 goal was to raise 250,000 pounds of food, which we beat with a total of 278,616 pounds. We are raising the bar this year and setting our goal at 500,000 pounds! Think we can do it!?! We do!
Mini Half Pipe used to collect can food donations.
Grind Out Hunger food drive is a competition between schools challenging them to raise the most amount of pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank. The great thing about this competition is that, in the end, we are all working towards the same goal, to provide food for kids in need. Think your school has what it takes?
The schools that raise the top amount of pounds will be awarded Grind Out Hunger trophies as well as gift certificates to Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop.
Check out the list of schools that participated last year: http://grindouthunger.org/2010-2/
Is your school on the list? Think you can beat the amount you raised in 2010!?!
Here is a quick breakdown of the Santa Cruz County Fair. See you all there!
For a more detailed fair schedule please visit: www.santacruzcountyfair.com
Wednesday, September 14
Kids Day & 2nd – 4th Grade Education Day
Free Admission for Kids 11 and Under All Day / Carnival Wristband Day
Fair hours: Noon-11:00 PM
From 1:00-4:00 PM Fair Admittance $8.00 with 3 cans of food for Grind Out Hunger
Thursday, September 15
2nd – 4th Grade Education Day
Fair hours: Noon-11:00 PM
From 1:00-4:00 PM Fair Admittance $8.00 with 3 cans of food for Grind Out Hunger
Its amazing what the youth can do when empowered. What started out 7 years ago as a way to teach kids altruism and compassion for their community has turned into a full blown spectacle. The goal for 2010 Grind Out Hunger campaign in Santa Cruz County was 250,000 pounds almost double 2009′s raise of 130,000 pounds.
This year was a bit different, Grind Out Hunger added a new partner with Skateworks Skateshop
Bill Strubing of Skateworks Skateshop
to combine forces with Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop, Jimbo Phillips Graphix and 102.5 KDON. 2010 for Grind Out Hunger was by far the craziest it has ever been, with the need to feed kids up more than ever and the students buckling down and getting serious about rising to the challenge.
St Francis came and helped at Santa Cruz County Fair
It all started with the Santa Cruz County Fair and education days collecting over 3000 pounds, great start to a busy year.
Then the speaking tour began, St Francis High, Aptos Jr. High, Cabrillo College, Gateway Elementary, Happy Valley Elementary, Lakeview Middle School, Santa Cruz High, Salesian Elementary and the list goes on.
3D Constructions Dominic Cusimano is a madman!
3D Constructions Dominic Cusimano and Jesse Gullings Painting spent over a month building ramps at Second Harvest Food Bank so that Grind Out Hunger could do the 1st Annual Skateathon sponsored by Rotary Interact at Twin Lakes Church raking in over 13,000 pounds of food and giving away a 1999 Red Mustang (WHAT!).
1st Annual Skateathon at Twin Lakes Church raised 13,000 pounds of food
That led to Whole Foods Market Santa Cruz stepping up and throwing down the 1st annual SkateJam presented by Whole Foods Market Santa Cruz and Rotary Interact (see the theme here?) both of these events were peppered by rain but it did not deter the kids from coming out and skating while donating food to a great cause.
Whole Foods Market Santa Cruz and The Skate Jam
It seemed that the kids were on a roll, school after school was smashing their previous years raise and setting new standards, gauntlets were being thrown down and some claims of who was beating who at what were circulating around feverishly as no one wanted to be left behind on this one. With $1800 in gift certificates up for grabs from Skateworks Skateshop and Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop, here are your 2010 Grind Out Hunger Champions!
The 2010 Grind Out Hunger Heavy Weight Champion was Monterey Coast Preparatory, Sinda Merritt and her students really set the bar raising over 21,000 pounds of food!! This amazing group of angels were relentless in their pursuit of raising food for kids putting the goal well ahead of themselves. Over the last three years with Grind Out Hunger, Sinda and crew have pulled in just under 40,000 pounds of food…not bad for 25 kids (do the math thats 1600 pounds per student!) Monterey Coast Prep takes home $600 in gift certificates to Skateworks Skateshop and Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop.
These kids got creative capping off their drive with "FREE" gift wrapping that raised thousands of dollars!
St Francis Central Coast Catholic High School, John Marheineke and the students invited Grind Out Hunger to come speak at their campus. Just over 200 kids attend the school and had barely participated in the food drive in years past. This was the 1st stop for 2010 Grind Out Hunger, you could feel the energy from the kids and they were pumped up. When asked what their goal was, the students blurted out “8000 POUNDS”…later when speaking with John he was obviously worried, “How in the world are we going to do that??”. In reality it didn’t matter if they did, the fact was they had a goal, were focused and no matter what they would give it 100%. Grind Out Hunger is proud to say that the students and staff not only hit the 8000 pounds they passed it. Congrats on the 10,001 pounds!!!!! St Francis Central Coast Catholic High School skates away with $600 in gift certificates to Skateworks Skateshop and Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop.
St Francis Central Coast Catholic High School sold 10 Grind Out Hunger skate decks totaling 3000 pounds!
Aptos Jr. High was a veteran of 2009 Grind Out Hunger and they lost no time is establishing that 2010 was going to be a record breaker. Brian Saxton and his students proceeded to make challenges, prizes and selling hot cocoa…whatever it took to hit 10,000 pounds. Well…Aptos Jr. High not only did that they went to a whopping 11,662 pounds. Aptos Jr. High pulls a repeat and wheels away $300 in gift certificates to Skateworks Skateshop and Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop.
Aptos Jr. High presents a check to Grind Out Hunger for $3500 or 10,500 pounds!
Gateway Elementary is also no stranger to the Grind Out Hunger challenge. The staff and students here always get creative and focus on the end goal of feeding kids. The presentation at Gateway is always fun as the kids are so inquisitive about how the food gets distributed, what kind of food can they bring in and how much more the dollar actually allows the purchase of healthy nutritious food. Thank goodness this is our future at work, its apparent that if we continue to provide altruistic ways for the youth of today to participate, society will become a better place. Gateway Elementary dropped 6,545 pounds into the barrels and captured 1st place for Elementary schools. Gateway Elementary slashes its way to $300 in gift certificates to Skateworks Skateshop and Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop.
Gateway students are always excited when Grind Out Hunger starts up!
At the end of it all, the youth in all their amazingness (is that a word?) managed to roll right by the 250,000 pound number, sliding in at a cool 278,616 pounds setting a new record and firmly placing the youth of Santa Cruz County as the 3rd largest contributor to the Second Harvest Holiday Food Drive 2.1 million pound goal. It is impressive the direction that Grind Out Hunger is going and there is some amazing news on the horizon for this kid powered charity so stay tuned! Below is a list of the winners of the 2010 Grind Out Hunger Challenge with a full list of schools…is your school involved? If not email HERE and get involved.
Award Division
Pounds of food raised
School Name
Heavy Weight Winner
21,001
Monterey Coast Preparatory
High School Winner
10,281
St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High
Jr. High School Winner
11,662
Aptos Junior High School
Elementary School Winner
6,545
Gateway Elementary School
Here is a total showing of all 2010 Grind Out Hunger schools, the 1st line is a total of all events like skate jams, online cash donations and anonymous donors. This year was a 1st for the colleges UCSC and Cabrillo College to participate in Grind Out Hunger. Both of these campuses are like small cities with over 40,000 students and staff between them its obvious that the partnership with higher education has some incredible possibilities!
Pounds of food raised
School Name
99,774
Grind Out Hunger events (skatejams etc)
47,027
UCSC students
21,001
Monterey Coast Preparatory
11,662
Aptos Junior High School
10,281
St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High
6,545
Gateway School
6,127
Cabrillo College – Aptos Campus
6,027
Monte Vista Christian Middle School
5,683
Shoreline Middle School
5,069
Salesian Elementary & Junior High
4,960
Monterey Bay Academy
4,731
Rio Del Mar Elementary School
4,592
Aptos High School
3,245
Watsonville High School
3,168
La Selva Beach Community School
2,830
Soquel High School
2,487
Mission Hill Middle School
2,356
Brook Knoll Elementary School
1,821
H.A. Hyde Elementary
1,585
Landmark Elementary
1,560
Valencia Elementary School
1,532
Lakeview Middle School
1,512
Santa Cruz High School
1,320
Ceiba Charter School
1,181
Soquel Elementary School
1,156
Pajaro Middle School
1,112
Alianza Charter School
1,056
De Laveaga Elementary School
1,029
Santa Cruz Montessori School
1,019
Westlake Elementary School
1,010
Bradley Elementary
892
Radcliff Elementary School
803
Moreland Notre Dame School
791
Bayview Elementary
777
Pajaro Valley High School
753
Gault Elementary School
743
Main Street Elementary
705
Monte Vista Christian High School
672
Green Acres Elementary School
610
Harbor High School
582
Happy Valley Elementary School
561
Linscott Charter School
541
Del Mar Elementary
530
Live Oak Elementary School
503
Spring Hill Advanced Elementary School of Santa Cruz
490
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School
485
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School
436
Aptos Academy (Elem)
416
Mt. Madonna School (Elem)
398
Green Valley Christian School
333
Mar Vista Elementary
261
Pacific Coast Charter School
250
Pacific Elementary School
229
New Brighton Middle School
221
Mountain Elementary School
197
Montessori Scotts Valley Preschool
181
Cabrillo College – Watsonville Campus
154
Neighorhood Childcare Center
140
Learning Ways Christian Preschool / Congregational Church of Soquel
131
Ocean Alternative Education Center
93
The Bay School
88
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
78
UCSC – BSU (Black Students United)
68
E.A. Hall Middle School
30
Head Start
28
Happy Days Children’s Learning Center
278,616
Total Pounds Raised 2010 Grind Out Hunger
There are also some honorable mentions of schools that made this their 1st year with Grind Out Hunger. Watch out for these schools next year!
