Capitola skateboarder Danny Keith helps the Second Harvest Food Bank collect food for the needy

By ROMAIN FONSEGRIVES

Posted: 11/26/2009 01:30:11 AM PST

WATSONVILLE — Danny Keith felt a sense of accomplishment Wednesday as he watched 30 volunteers at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Watsonville sort through food about to be delivered to the hungry for Thanksgiving.

That’s because much of it was raised through his charity, Grind Out Hunger.

“We’re visiting local schools throughout the county, and we get as many kids as we can to raise as much pounds per student per school as possible,” said Keith, owner of the Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop in Capitola. “Then the store offers a prize back for the best high, middle and elementary schools.”

The charity’s logo — a skateboarder carving into a bowl while holding a food bag — and name sum up Keith’s spirit. With his cool cap and sunglasses, the long-haired 40-year-old, who formed the charity in 2004, catches kids’ attention. Speaking their language, Keith knows how to raise their interest in issues like hunger.

“It is amazing to see Danny with the kids,” said Bly Morales, food drive and events manager for the food bank. “He’s like a rock star to them.”

It all started with a couple of barrels in Keith’s 41st Avenue skateshop a few years ago. Each holiday season, he gave discounts to customers who filled them with food for the needy. But the barrels remained half empty, Keith said. He decided to ramp it up.

“If I couldn’t do it in my shop, I needed to take it directly to the kids,” Keith said. “That’s how I came up with the idea of Grind Out Hunger.
Each year, Keith creates a special Grind Out Hunger deck he sells for $100. He gives the money earned from the sales to the food bank, he said.

Keith thinks the initiative is successful in schools because it is an extension of the skateboarding spirit — sticking together and taking care of your own.

“When I’m talking to a class, the first kids to react are skateboarders,” Keith said. “And somehow it just emanates out to other kids in the school.”

The charity has teamed up with the Second Harvest Food Bank since 2004. Working with more than 180 local agencies, the charity collects, sorts and distributes food throughout the county.

“It’s really good having that kind of guy helping us out,” Morales said.

With the goal of collecting 2 million pounds of food during this year’s holiday season, volunteers and workers at the food bank are working harder than ever, according to Morales. Even though she does not have results yet, as the holiday season is just beginning, Morales said she believes in the community’s generosity and expects Second Harvest to reach its goal.

A Watsonville resident, Morales has worked for the food bank for the past two years and is concerned by the significant increase of people in need. The number of people asking for food has jumped 30 percent compared to last year, she said. Morales has even seen previous donors coming to the charity and asking for food this year, she said.

“When I started Grind Out Hunger, the food bank served 30,000 people a month. Now it has jumped to 60,000 a month” Keith said. “It means one in four children is going hungry, so we really have to do our best.”

Grind Out Hunger is touring in more than 50 schools this season, Keith said. After collecting 60,000 pounds of food in 2008, Keith’s objective this year is to jump up to 100,000 pounds.

The campaign is more rewarding than owning the shop, Keith said, and he vowed the Grind Out Hunger effort should continue as long as people go hungry.

“I’d rather go skateboarding or surfing but as long as people need our help, I’ll be here a 100 percent,” Keith said.

Danny Keith of Grind Out Hunger and Bly Morales Second Harvest Food Bank Food Drives and Events Manager photo by Smuel Thaler for Santa Cruz Sentinel

Danny Keith holding Grind Out Hunger Deck photo by Smuel Thaler for Santa Cruz Sentinel