Over 150 Irish skateboarders and rollerbladers have decided to skate for an amazing cause.

On Saturday, February 2, they will ‘skate against suicide’ in order to raise money for the mental health charity Aware.

The skaters will begin their 5K skate at St. Anne’s Park, Clontarf and make their way along the Clontarf seafront to Fairview Skatepark, where there will be a barbecue and DJ set.

“Our goal is to raise money for Aware by having a group of Skateboarders and Rollerbladers go the distance and skate from St.Anne’s Park along the Clontarf seafront to Fairview Skatepark on the 2nd of February 2019.”

GCN spoke to the event organiser Conor O’Reilly from Fawk Yeah Skateboards, who explained the purpose of the event:

“Mental health is something that is being spoken about in Ireland more and more every day which is fantastic.

“There are similar fundraisers such as Darkness Into Light, Cycle Against Suicide and Sail Against Suicide and people are able to get involved and create a sense of togetherness around breaking the stigma behind mental health issues, and also promote mental health awareness.

“The skateboarding community in Ireland is also growing every day which is also fantastic because skateboarding is a hobby that tests you mentally and physically and absolutely anybody can pick up a board and feel included at their local skatepark or skating spots.”

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He added, “We wanted to create a platform for skateboarders, rollerbladers and BMXs where they can express their empathy for those who suffer from mental health issues. We are fundraising for AWARE with a target of €2500 and we are on our way to hitting it!”

Recent research from BeLonG To suggests that 9 in 10 young LGBT+ people in Ireland face an ongoing struggle with their mental health.

To help them reach their €2500 target, you can donate at justgiving.com and more details about the event are available on Skate Against Suicide’s Facebook page.