Writer/Surfer
See that symbol in 'for'? That's the symbol for the Rebel Alliance in the Star Wars universe. Why is it on Kelly's chest? Is he a rebel? Maybe. But he's also supporting UNICEF this #givingtuesday. Photo: Facebook

See that symbol in ‘for’? That’s the symbol for the Rebel Alliance in the Star Wars universe. Why is it on Kelly’s chest? Is he a rebel? Maybe. But he’s also supporting UNICEF this #givingtuesday. Photo: Facebook


The Inertia

It’s no secret Kelly Slater’s a philanthropic dude. In recent years he’s launched campaigns on Omaze with friends to raise money for causes like SurfAid, WSL Pure, and countless others. With an audience of over 1.8 million on Facebook, and about the same on Instagram, it’s clear what Kelly says and does has the power to influence others. And when he wields that influence for social good, well, it’s commendable.

Today, Kelly posted on his Facebook and Instagram a photo of him in a shirt that reads, “I am a force for change.” And instead of a letter ‘o’ in ‘for’ there’s a symbol Star Wars fans will recognize as that of the Rebel Alliance. (If you’re not a fan, here’s a little explainer for you.)

The story behind the t-shirt is Target has partnered with Star Wars: Force for Change in an initiative they call Force 4 Fashion. Force for Change explains the connection between the Star Wars films and philanthropy this way on their website:

“Following the release of ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ in the late 1970’s, fans began to embrace Star Wars stories of struggle, hope and inspiration on a more personal level.  Philanthropy was very important to George Lucas — he used early screenings to raise money for charities around the world with a particular emphasis on children’s healthcare and education.  Over the course of the last three decades, Star Wars fans have kept this philanthropic spirit alive by volunteering their time to countless charities across the world and raising millions of dollars in donations.”

For every t-shirt purchased (they retail for $12.99 USD) Target will donate $5 USD to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF – the United Nations Children’s Fund – in support of their initiative UNICEF: Kid Power.

If all of this seems too convoluted to keep track of, here’s the bottom line. If you buy a shirt from November 27 to December 31, 5 bucks of what you spend will go toward supporting an initiative where kids are given the power to save lives around the world by getting active.

Kelly’s support of this campaign is consistent with what we in the surf world already know about him as a force for change, whether that’s board design, the wavepool frontier, or, in this case, social good.

“To be honest, I’d say I am a Force For Change because I’ve come a long way from where I was growing up,” said Kelly. “My situation wasn’t always the easiest but I was determined to make something of myself and today, can say that I have. I have a daughter and I want her to always know that you have the power to change things if you want it badly enough. And to hear that people have been inspired by your journey in life gives you an obligation and opportunity to figure out where you can make a difference.”

To learn more, visit FORCEFORCHANGE.COM

 
Newsletter

Only the best. We promise.

Contribute

Join our community of contributors.

Apply