Athletic chalk company partners with local climbing gym to make fitness and climbing accessible to youth from local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Athletic chalk company, Friction Labs, has launched an initiative that aims to make climbing and fitness more accessible to underserved young people. The inaugural event kicked off at local climbing gym, Coral Cliffs, owned by Abby Dione.
“These exceptional young individuals constantly have words like underrepresented, and underpriviledged used to describe them and their reality,” said Coral Cliffs owner Abby Dione. “Offering them safe and fun experiences that allow them to familiarize themselves with their innate ability to overcome is crucial and has been at the heart of how we operate at Coral Cliffs. We are grateful to be able to do this on a larger scale thanks to the ongoing support of partners like Friction Labs.”
Abby Dione has owned and operated Coral Cliffs climbing gym since 2011. Dione closed her gym to members and the public to host an exclusive climbing workshop for the youth of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County and their respective “big sibling” mentors. The Coral Cliffs staff taught the participants about climbing and then started them on the wall. Dione’s goal was to educate the kids, so they have a foundation and learn the basics for future climbing opportunities. Following the event, each child received two day passes so they can return to the gym and practice their skills.
“The sport of climbing has seen tremendous growth in recent years, though often not in ways that mirror the diversity of our society,” said Keah Kalantari, co-founder of Friction Labs. “Climbing is for everyone. Friction Labs is honored to have the opportunity to open a door to climbing — and keep it open — for this community by partnering with Coral Cliffs and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County. This was a great start and now it’s our job to bring the many benefits of climbing and fitness to more underserved communities.”
Friction Labs is the manufacturer of Secret Stuff® Hygienic, the world’s first hygienic liquid chalk that has been shown by the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to inactivate the cause of COVID-19. Proceeds from sales of the new product were used to fund the event. The company also provided the participants with the chalk to act as another safety precaution in the gym. The Friction Labs team plans to keep the momentum going and will hold similar events across the country every quarter. The goal will always be to bring climbing and fitness to youth without current access by partnering with local fitness facilities and civic organizations.
About Friction Labs ®
Since 2013, Friction Labs has produced products that are used and trusted by top athletes in sports that require dependable, long-lasting grip. Stripped of all unnecessary fillers and responsibly refined in Denver, Colorado, Friction Labs high purity magnesium carbonate provides unrivaled moisture absorption in a single application and is great for all skin types. To learn more about Friction Labs and see athletes around the world using the chalk, visit online and follow on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.