Program for at-risk teens rejects Burton donations over snowboards
Toolbox
By Cristina Kumka Herald Staff - Published: October 16, 2008
Homeless and at-risk teens from the Burlington area won't be taking advantage of a free program offered by Burton this winter because of a controversial line of risqué snowboards.
Mark Redmond, the executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services, said he's taking a stand against a company that up until two weeks ago, he bragged about.
"They used to pick up four of our kids and drop them off at Burton headquarters with other kids from the Boys and Girls Club," Redmond said.
"Eight Fridays in a row they gave them snowboards, free hats, gloves, lessons and lift tickets and they went out and boarded at Bolton Valley."
But Spectrum, a Burlington-based mental health and substance abuse awareness service for teens, will not be taking advantage of the "Burton Chill Program" this season because of a decision by Burton to sell graphic snowboards that represent something Redmond says goes against Spectrum's values.
Burton's line of limited-edition "Love" snowboards features partially nude 1970s Playboy models tagged with descriptions containing sexually explicit language. Another board line, called "Primo," features self-mutilation — scenes of people cutting off their own fingers or dogs biting off fingers.
According to Redmond, Spectrum knows all about self-mutilation.
"And there is nothing funny or amusing about it," the director wrote in a letter to the Herald.
"It is a very sad and tragic condition when young people feel the compulsion to cut or harm themselves, and it is extremely difficult to treat. It is beyond comprehension that any company would use self-harm as a marketing ploy," according to Redmond.
Redmond, a member of The White Ribbon Campaign of Vermont, an organization of men against domestic violence, said he "hates" to stop teens from participating in the Chill program because the program is to their benefit, but he said he felt obligated to disassociate Spectrum with Burton.
"We're taking a stand against it," he said.
"We will explain to these kids that sometimes you have to stand for higher principles, in this case principles against the objectification of women and self-mutilation as a marketing ploy."
Redmond said he wants to see the boards discontinued and taken off the shelves.
"To me that's the only right thing to do," he said.
Burton did not return requests for comment at press time.
Contact Cristina Kumka at cristina.kumka@rutlandherald.com.
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