Clayton teen takes skateboarding to new level

Growing up, Devin McHugh was a familiar sight around downtown Clayton or Diablo View Middle School, zooming around on his skateboard and cheerfully getting kicked out of places he wasn’t supposed to be.

But that never dampened his love of the sport, and it’s something the 2013 Clayton Valley Charter High School graduate carried with him to UC Davis this year, where inspiration struck.

“I love skateboarding, and I wanted to do something to help get rid of its negative stereotype,” he said from between midterms last week. “So I decided I wanted to do a ride for a cause.”

McHugh and five friends will embark on a three-day charity ride in June that will benefit Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, the Skate-for-Bay Area. They will roll from Clayton all the way to Monterey.

“On June 15, 2014, we will hit the road with nothing but backpacks on our backs and skateboards under our feet,” he said.

The trek is an opportunity to showcase his love of skateboarding, while helping out kids who may not have been so fortunate as he. “I was lucky enough to grow up in the Bay Area doing things I loved, like skateboarding,” McHugh said. “But I know a lot of kids suffered from chronic illnesses and couldn’t do the same things I was able to. That’s why I want to help them.”

McHugh, the son of Clayton residents Brian and Liza McHugh, says the inspiration for the ride was his own, but that his mom helped him find a worthy charity recipient. “My family has been great, helping get the word out to raise money for the cause.” It also includes his sister Tristin, a 2013 UC Santa Cruz graduate.

To raise funds, McHugh has set up an online fundraising site on YouCaring.com, with a modest goal of $1,000. He hopes that as word gets out about his ride, that total will increase.

“One-thousand seemed like a good place to start, but I’m hoping as more people hear about the ride, they will support it, and not just friends of the family.”

McHugh, who is studying managerial economics at Davis, will be joined on his ride by fellow Clayton residents Michael Kerr, Tyler Riessen and Zach Zuercher, UC Davis student Joshua Brown, and McHugh’s cousin Dylan Lee.

Besides earning money for Children’s Hospital, McHugh said he hopes his charity ride will inspire other young skaters.

“I’d like to see skaters, even younger than myself, learn how to be leaders, and show that skateboarding isn’t just a brainless sport. My motto is ‘stay out of trouble, have fun, and be respectful.’

“It’s all about having fun with friends, and making our community better.”

Visit McHugh’s website at www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/skate-for-bay-area-kids/131141 for more information.