Vans invites fans to give back to community in honor of Checkerboard Day

Vans has invited fans to participate in local and digital activities to help build inclusive and creative public spaces.

In honour of Vans Checkerboard Day on November 18, the brand has partnered with DoSomething.org, a global non profit which aims to inspire young people to take action. This movement is Vans’ largest philanthropic venture, and aims to energise artistic and innovative spaces. In the time leading up to the day, Vans will release various initiatives for its fans to take part in either online or in person.

A directory on the Vans website will list various community events that fans can participate in, as well as digital activities. A TikTok challenge called #VansCheckerboardDay will function as a way for people to share their community projects, as well as feature Vans ambassadors sharing what community revitalization is to them. Fans also have the option of donating to fifteen charities. The fifteen charities are also this year’s recipients of Vans’ Checkerboard Day donation, which is a total of 1 million dollars.

The sixteen organisations that are receiving the Checkerboard donations this year - including DoSomething.org - are GoodPush, Groundswell, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, Colectivo Tomate, Nations Skate Youth, Dignity for Children, Another Way of Seeing, ArtDream, Skateboard Academy, Hackney Bumps, Juju Surf Club, Indigo Youth Movement, Girls in Film, Jukebox Collective and The Hub. Each nonprofit will receive 50,000 dollars from Vans, and DoSomething.org will receive 250,000 dollars. Of that, 25,000 dollars will go towards youth scholarships.

“Art and creative expression are not only proven to benefit an individual’s academic, physical and mental well-being, but uplift and improve entire communities,” said Vans global brand president, Doug Palladini. “As a champion for the power of creativity, we’re encouraging Vans fans to join us this Vans Checkerboard Day in being a part of activities and initiatives that showcase how creativity truly revitalizes our communities.”

Vans Checkerboard Day has raised over 2 million dollars since it began in 2019, giving back to nonprofits which support creativity, mental health and community engagement.