Tony Hawk has pledged to donate proceeds from autographed photos to a memorial fund for Tyre Nichols, whose family said shares the same passion as the skateboarding legend.
On Friday (February 3), Hawk said he and BMX rider Rick Throne would autograph pictures to raise money for the Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund, which was launched after the 29-year-old Black man was fatally beaten by Memphis police, per the Associated Press.
“My proceeds from these will go to the Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund, which includes plans to build a public skatepark in his honor; as our worlds continue to grieve his loss,” Hawk tweeted Friday. “He was a talented skater among other admirable traits. Let’s keep his legacy alive.”
Nichols, an avid skateboarder and father to a 4-year-old boy, died on January 10, three days after he was pulled over by Memphis police officers. Footage released earlier this month shows officers repeatedly punching, kicking, and hitting him with a baton as he cried out for his mother.
Six officers involved in the deadly traffic stop have been fired and five of them have been charged with murder. A seventh officer, who remains unidentified, has been suspended.
Half of the proceeds from Hawk and Thorne's autographed photos will go towards helping Nichols' family, building a skate park in his name, and "honoring his love for skateboarding,” the purchase website reads. 1,000 copies are available for sale priced at $30 each.
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