Community

At 686 we want to be more than just a brand. We want to help make a difference in our community and inspire our employees to do the same.

In addition to working with that partners below, we have created a new service-based program to inspire our crew to give back to their local communities, starting with our local home in South Central Los Angeles. We've set a company goal to complete a minimum of 120 cumulative volunteer hours together, with hopes to surpass and grow that number in the future. 

686 will be donating work hours, meaning that the company will be paying employees and team riders during the hours required to reach our goals.

RIDING ON INSULIN (ROI)

Founded by 686 team rider Sean Busby, who is living proof that a snowboarder with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) can follow their dreams on a snowboard, RIDING ON INSULIN (ROI) empowers, activates and connects the global diabetes community through shared experience and action sports. In addition to establishing a comfortable environment, ROI strives to help families explore new passions, challenge T1D, and celebrate each other’s successes. 

686 helps provide accessible gear to ROI coaches and campers as well as fundraising donations throughout each year.

charity: water

charity: water is a non-profit organization that provides drinking water to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, charity: water has helped fund 24,537 projects in 24 countries, bringing a lifetime of clean, sanitary drinking water to over 8.2 million people.

686 continues to donate 1% of all Hydrastash sales to charity: water, which provides full transparency on how 100% of all funds are put to work in the field.

Boarding For Breast Cancer (B4BC)

Founded in 1996, B4BC believes in the long-term benefits of healthy, active and sustainable pursuits for individuals and communities as a whole. B4BC provides breast cancer education, prevention and survivor support programs for young people. B4BC hosts year round grassroots events, educational outreach, and survivor wellness retreats to further its mission of promoting early detection and a healthy, active lifestyle as the best means of breast cancer prevention. 

686 will donate 5% of all B4BC collaborative products to help fund B4BC educational outreach and survivor retreat programs.

REVERT FOUNDATION

Youth development and leadership programs have been shown to help shape the growth of youths in a positive way and are built on the foundation of principles to help young people prepare for the challenges that they may face through adolescence and adulthood. REVERT programs do this through a series of activities to help them become morally, emotionally, physically, and socially competent adults. Activities incorporate learning skills to be productive, establish connections with adults within their families and community, and plot and navigate through a safe course in life. Revert also holds a YDN training certificate.

REVERT Foundation seeks to provide youths ages 10-17 with several key experiences to support them on their journey to one day become healthy functioning adults.

THE SERVICE BOARD (TSB)

For over 25 years, tSB continues to develop and implement culturally-relevant programming for high school-aged youth from traditionally marginalized communities (BIPoC, LGBTQAI+, low-income, immigrants, refugees, foster care, houseless).

tSB provides youth with an inclusive space where they are heard, valued and given space to develop as leaders. Their year-around programming facilitates equitable access for youth to traditionally inaccessible outdoor activities with a focus on snowboarding to increase diversity in the outdoors and build confidence in youth. In combination with community service projects, adult mentoring, social and environmental justice education; tSB creates courageous communities of young change-makers, athletes, and future environmentalists.