Fresno Skateboard Salvage to give away boards, helmets to kids
Ten Fresno kids had a shot at free skateboards and helmets Saturday at the Divisadero Street McDonald’s, with a board-building demo set for 4 p.m.
Fresno Skateboard Salvage gave 10 children ages 5 through 18 a chance to win a free skateboard and helmet Saturday, June 28, at the McDonald’s at 1739 E. Divisadero Street in Fresno. The giveaway ran from 3 to 6 p.m. and included a board-building demonstration at 4 p.m., with entry tied to a minimum $15 purchase and a spin-the-wheel format instead of a traditional raffle.
The setup matched the nonprofit’s stated mission to put skateboards and skateboard accessories into the hands of underprivileged kids in Fresno while giving them a positive outlet. Fresno Skateboard Salvage is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 82-4514085, and it has framed its work around both access and safety, sending kids home with helmets as well as boards.
Rodney Rodriguez founded the group in 2016 after growing up in Calwa, where he has said skateboarding was his escape. Rodriguez, who is also a father, grandfather and truck driver, built the effort around a personal experience that turned into a neighborhood service model rather than a one-time handout.
That model has already shown up across Fresno County. On Feb. 27, 2026, Rodriguez surprised students at Stratford Elementary School with 50 skateboards, along with helmets, shoes and warm clothing. On April 12, 2024, Fresno Skateboard Salvage gave more than 50 skateboards and safety equipment to youth at the Pinedale Boys and Girls Club in Fresno County.
The nonprofit also works with incarcerated artists in California prisons, where used skateboards are turned into artwork for auction and the proceeds are used to buy new boards for children. A 2024 profile said the organization had already provided hundreds of local children in low-income communities with skateboards, underscoring how the Divisadero Street giveaway fit into a longer-running effort.
At the McDonald’s on East Divisadero, the helmet came with the board from the start, and the board-building demonstration added a hands-on lesson to the giveaway. The event put a familiar Fresno restaurant parking lot to work as a neighborhood access point for kids who might not otherwise have skate gear of their own.
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