Rob Dyrdek, a professional skateboarder and serial entrepreneur, is known for his "work hard, play hard" approach to business. In fact, his popular MTV reality series, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, focuses on day-to-day life at his 25,000-square-foot superoffice, which features the usual trimmings of a corporate headquarters, but also an indoor skate park, foam pit, zip line, and other big-kid toys.
But the focus was definitely on playing hard during SK8 4 Life, a charity event on May 22 that drew hundreds of attendees to the home of Dyrdek Enterprises and raised $550,000 for underprivileged kids in Los Angeles.
Dyrdek, a member of the AOL Small Business Board of Directors, was joined by celebrities from the worlds of music, movies, and sports, including Victoria Beckham, hip-hop stars Pharrell Williams and The Game, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, actors Topher Grace, Tia Carrere, and Ali Landry, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"With success comes responsibility of playing your part, to do what you can to help not only those that helped you get to where you're at, but the future of who's going to be playing a part of your business and everything you do in your entire career," Dyrdek said in an interview after the event. "And this is a great opportunity for that."
SK8 4 Life marked the first time Dyrdek opened the doors of the Fantasy Factory to the public, and MTV crews were on hand to film an episode for the show's third season. Dyrdek's new professional skateboarding league, Street League Skateboarding, also held its first pro demo during the daylong event. (Want to start your own sports franchise? Learn more at Asylum.)
Proceeds will benefit the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles, through the purchase of more than 2,500 skateboards. Some of the money will also be set aside for construction of a new "Safe Spot Skate Spot," the Rob Dyrdek Foundation's public skate park initiative.
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The original version of this article appeared on AOL Small Business on 6/1/10.