Skaters’ Picnic Fosters Joy, Connection

For more than a dozen years, skaters, police officers and community leaders joined together — simply to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company — and KidsMatter was the driving force.

The annual Skaters’ Picnic took place during the Naperville Jaycees Last Fling, and it gave youth who loved skateboarding a chance to be recognized and connect positively with adults in the community.

Teens, police, business owners and other leaders got the benefit of the relaxed and fun atmosphere at the event, and everyone left having found a new friend or familiar face. Longtime KidsMatter participant and current intern Avery Belgio, 20, got involved with the Skaters’ Picnic more than a decade ago, when she was only 5.

That year, she helped raise money for the cause at a kid’s pace and donated $1.50 she had collected herself. Avery’s own recollections of the picnic begin when she was about 10, and she helped her father, Tom Belgio —then a KidsMatter board member — hand out hot dogs during the event. The elder Belgio provided the food from his catering business, as part of his own longtime support of KidsMatter’s initiatives in youth empowerment.

“It was such a fun community,” Belgio said, recalling the teenage skaters and well-respected grown-ups who gathered each year at the picnic, making her feel “famous” for being seen, heard and valued among them. “It was very fun and very social.” The Skaters’ Picnic got its start in 2004 and ran through 2017, giving plenty of skaters the chance to interact casually with caring adults, build self-esteem and find positivity in the place they called home.

“I think it built a lot of joy,” Belgio said. “I’m very positive and enthusiastic to this day, and I think it has a huge part to do with the events I went to as a kid. Events like the Skaters’ Picnic helped me see how fortunate I am to have grown up in such an amazing and supportive community as Naperville, and I do really think that shaped me.”

Although the Skaters’ Picnic ended its run, activities to support KidsMatter and build community continue, through the annual School’s Out event at Lou Malnati’s, numerous gatherings and educational forums — and especially the annual EMPOWER Gala.

“One of my favorite parts about KidsMatter is that even though the adults can make a really big difference, they understand that they don’t know exactly what’s going on in our minds,” Belgio said. “It’s amazing that KidsMatter always brings in the teens to say, ‘What do you really need? And how can we help support you?’”

To support KidsMatter’s mission, visit kidsmatter2us.org/ways-to-give/donate/.

About KidsMatter: Recognized as Naperville’s proactive, youth-oriented human services organization, KidsMatter’s mission is to build resilient kids who say “no” to destructive choices and “yes” to endless possibilities. Established in 2001, and now celebrating its 25th year, KidsMatter empowers kids to realize their purpose, know their value, and discover their pathway through programs addressing youth mental health, leadership development and career exploration. A leader among nonprofits, KidsMatter harnesses the power of partnerships to help young people build developmental assets, including positive values, healthy relationships and self-esteem. KidsMatter has been highlighted by NBC 5 Chicago’s Making a Difference in 2024 for providing Youth Mental Health First Aid courses and by CBS News Chicago in 2023 for the Kindness Counts Campaign. With programming focused on preventing problems in the lives of youth before they start — and an extensive network of parents, educators and resources — KidsMatter equips youth and families with essential tools to manage the societal pressures and stresses of everyday life.