"I'M A FRIEND OF RUBEN ORKIN"
One Man Army
Ruben
Dwarves
C
lose to 15 years ago, the Bad Brains set
it straight with their song, "PMA"
(Positive Mental Attitude). Got that
Positive Mental Attitude?
I know someone who definitely does.
Ruben Orkin.
Ruben has also been recently diagnosed
with lung cancer. Since then, he has been a
one man army-completely and whole heart-
edly focused on defeating the cancer inside
him. It has been a lesson in dedication.
and strength of mental will power that
all of us who know him can only
hope to someday achieve in our-
selves. For those of you who don't
know Ruben, it's your loss. He is
one of the friendliest guys out
there. He is a 100% skateboarder.
He will skate anything-anytime,
anywhere. He is also the
team captain of Spitfire and Thunder. If you're
down for skating, Ruben's down for you.
On October 24, 1997 Ruben's friends came
together to hold a benefit for him. It was the
kind of thing only skateboarders could pull off.
Underground and through word of mouth,
the news spread. At 5pm Friday,
there was a jam at a schoolyard
in SF's mission district.
Permits were not
obtained; permis-
⚫sion was granted through manifest destiny. In
a show of support, the skateboarders turned.
out in full force. There were some torn up
obstacles in the schoolyard, but that didn't
matter. Famous professional skateboarders
were there, but that didn't matter,
either. What mattered was why every-
one was there-to session for a cause.
The skating was great. "I'm a Friend of
Ruben Orkin" T-shirts sold like hot-
cakes and money was raised until
the sun went down.
But the show wasn't over.
At a club about 20 blocks
away, the benefit continued.
The Bottom of the Hill opened
its doors and donated its cover
charge to the cause. One Man
Army, the Dwarves, and US
Bombs all played sets for free.
All of their sets were awesome.
The pit was a dirty, beer-
soaked mob that only stopped
to throw back more
liquor or to buy a
T-shirt. The place
Strubing
sold out, and everyone in
attendance knew they were
a part of something special.
It was a day and night where
everyone stood united under
a common objective-to help
one of skateboarding's own.
It was an entirely positive
event. Lots more cash
was raised. But most
important, it was a way
for all of Ruben's friends
to let him know that in
their hearts, they have it, too.
They've got that Positive Mental Attitude for you,
Ruben. You will beat this thing.
If you want to write to Ruben or purchase one of
the "I'm a Friend of Ruben Orkin" T-shirts, write to:
Deluxe, 1775 Egbert, SF, CA 94124. T-shirts are only
available in XL (quit crying; wash it in hot water
and dry it forever if it's too big) and are
10 bucks each, plus $1 for postage and
handling. All of the 10 bucks goes
straight to Ruben. -Jim Thiebaud
US Bombs
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