West Palm Beach Skateboarding Event To Raise Addiction Awareness

Nearly three months after the threat of severe thunderstorms scuttled the Bartle BBQ Hang at Phipps Park, the inaugural event is back on.

Set for Saturday, Aug. 26 at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, this event will pull together the local skateboarding and culinary communities to the cause of preventing and treating substance use disorders.

Held in honor and remembrance of Cory Bartle, a 34-year-old skateboarding and cooking enthusiast who lost his battle with addiction in October 2022, the BBQ Hang will (of course) feature delicious barbecue, a halfpipe competition with prizes, a demonstration by local skateboard pro Kai Canduba and beats by DJ INlighten (Lance Desrouleaux).

The inaugural Bartle BBQ Hang, originally scheduled for June 3, but postponed because of severe weather, will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 at the National Croquet Center. The event honors the life of Cory Bartle, who lost his life to addiction, and launches a program to help others dealing with the same issue. Conceived by the Bartle Family, their close friends and Sandy James Fine Food, the event will also launch the Hanley Foundation's "Cory Bartle Memorial Fund," with all proceeds going to the program.

The Hanley Foundation's mission is the elimination of addiction through prevention, advocacy, treatment and recovery support.

"This is an opportunity for our friends in the skateboarding and culinary communities to come out and 'get on board' to support this critical cause," said James Bartle, Cory's uncle and co-founder and proprietor of Sandy James Fine Food.

"It's heartbreaking that too many young people in our community fall victim to addiction, but we want anyone suffering to know that help is available, which is why we partnered with Hanley Foundation."

James said that outreach to any of the kids in the skating community who may be suffering with addiction is paramount and added that he wanted to make sure that all the skateboard kids got fed.

That should not be a problem.

Sandy James Fine Foods will be cooking on site and serving up a classic barbecue featuring brisket sandwiches, barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potato salad and more.

The food will be served inside the facility's clubhouse so folks can get into air conditioning if they want.

Adam Longnecker of the Sideways Group will be providing the halfpipe and running the skateboard competition, which will have prizes for the first-, second- and third-place finishers.

Redeemable at Post Modern Skate Shop in West Palm Beach, first place will be a $250 gift certificate, second place will be a full skateboard and third a pair of shoes.

Cory Bartle was hardcore skater who split his time growing up between West Palm Beach and Hampton, Virginia. When in West Palm Beach, he regularly skated at Phipps and, according to his uncle, always had a skateboard with him.

In addition to skating, Cory was into cooking, learning much of his craft working with his uncle at Sandy James Fine Foods.

Cory was passionate about those he loved and was always willing to help people anyway he could.

Though he was working hard to be free of addiction, an accidental overdose ended his life.

Danielle Hanson of the Hanley Foundation, Florida's largest provider of grant-funded prevention programs and recovery scholarships to combat addiction, said the Cory Bartle Memorial Fund will directly support their Lifesaver Program.

Hanson said the program is for those seeking help, but don't have the financial means to get it. She said that many people suffering with addiction are homeless and uninsured and that this program can immediately get them into a qualified facility vetted by Hanley.

She said people tell her that "lives are saved and hope restored through the program" and added that a patient named Amy recently reached out to tell them "I'm alive and well today because of the lifesaving work that this organization does."

This is Hanley's first foray into skateboarding, and James wanted it to be an event that Cory would've wanted to attend, Hanson said.

While all proceeds from the event will go toward the Cory Bartle Memorial Fund, even those not attending can help support this worthy cause. The Hanley website can assist in making donations.