DC professional skateboarder John Gardner is on a mission to shine a light on suicide and mental health awareness within the skate community.
Pro Skateboarder and DC Shoes team rider John Gardner has designed an eco-friendly skate collection that raises awareness for suicide and mental health while also raising funds for the Diné Skate Garden Project.
As part of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, the Diné Skate Garden Project needed a little extra money to get the skatepark build across the line. John opted to donate the royalties from his capsule collection and DC matched his contribution, with an aim to have the project completed in early 2022.
John Gardner.
For Gardner, skateboarding is more than just a profession, it is a way to cope with daily stress and depression. And since suicide rates on the Najavo Reservation are sadly higher than the national averages, a state-of-the-art skatepark in this underserved area will be particularly valuable for the Navajo youth looking for a positive form of self-expression to cope with the stresses of everyday life.
Gardner uses skateboarding and meditation (among other tools) to help cope with his own personal depression, and he is hoping to show others that they’re not alone.
Skating can essentially become a moving meditation...that can feel like time and space are irrelevant. And I think that’s why people love skateboarding so much. That’s why I love it.
- John Gardner.
Gardner designed a 100% vegan-friendly colorway of DC’s popular Manual Hi with an organic cotton upper and IMPACT-ALG™ insoles made from algae blooms. As a gift with purchase, the shoes also come with a limited zine curated by Gardner himself—including facts about mental health, self-care tips, breathing techniques, and other tools that could be useful for anyone suffering from depression.
Gardner is hosting an event to raise mental health awareness within the skate community at Ocean Beach Skatepark in San Diego on October 10th. DC will also premiere a short interview with Gardner, where he discusses the importance of mental health and shares some personal tips.
The John Gardner Collection is available at Dcshoes.com and at retailers worldwide on October 11, 2021.
Media Notes
- View and download web-sized imagery from the gallery (no login needed)
- Event: John Gardner is hosting a mental health awareness event at Ocean Beach Skatepark, San Diego on October 10
About DC Shoes
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