To whom much is given, much is required, right?

I mean, I love making retarded jokes and posting pictures of Wallace’s nuts on the blog everyday, but I think there’s a bit of room in here to do something positive and constructive beyond our incestuous “streetwear” bubble. So we added a “GIVE” button on the sidebar, which will occasionally rotate to promote different charities, causes, and other organizations we support that are looking for donations.

Ben and I have a couple of great friends, a brother and sister named Josh and Lindsay, who have been with our brand since day one. Amongst other things, we used to stay with Josh in New York on research trips, and his sister Linds gave us the inspiration behind much of our tonal design work. Along with their brothers Todd and Andrew, they all shared an equally great dad named Ken. Ben always remarked that Ken was like one of those dads that made you feel immediately like he was your dad. So when Ken got cancer more than 2-and-a-half years ago, you can imagine how many people were affected.

Earlier this year, we received a letter from Josh and Lindsay’s little cousin Nick, who was 12 or 13 years old at the time. The following are some excerpts:

“Dear Family and Friends,

As most of you know, my uncle Ken is sick in the hospital with cancer right now. He has been battling this terrible disease for the last two and a half years. It has been a very difficult time for all of us. After spending so much time at the USC/Norris Cancer Hospital I have seen for myself what a terrible disease cancer can actually be. It is not only awful for the patients, but awful for all the families that sit there, hour after hour. Every day in the hospital I have tried to figure out ways to make my uncle Ken happy and healthy…

…My new mission is to try and raise money for cancer research. I want cancer to be a thing of the past so families do not have to go through what my uncle Ken is going through. I am asking all of you to help me with this mission. If everybody donates a little amount of money it will eventually turn into a lot…”

After fighting and winning so many times, Ken eventually succumbed to cancer not long after that letter was written. So we decided that our first “GIVE” button would be dedicated to the Norris Cancer Hospital that Nick recognized had done so much for Ken.

Here in the States, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving today, which is a great day for food, family and remembering blessings. So enjoy the day, be thankful, and give.

by bobbyhundreds