Friends near and far help Five Points skate shop

When bad times hit, you can quickly find out who your friends are.

Luckily, David Toole, owner of Bluetile Skateshop in Five Points, has many friends.

After suffering tens of thousands of dollars in flood damage to his home and business, Toole—who has been part of the Columbia skate scene for more than 25 years—has received an outpouring of support from skateboard enthusiasts across the country and even around the globe. Friend Ben Jones at Kinetic Skateboarding in Wilmington, Delaware, started a GoFundMe site for Toole and has thus far raised more than $6,000 (toward a $30,000 goal) from skateboarders as far away as China and London. Toole is also receiving donations of brand new skateboards and skateboarding apparel from companies, some of which he has never done business with.

“We lost some inventory and sustained minor property damages but the loss in business has been pretty substantial. We are up and running an all cylinders now but it’s going to take several months for us to recover from the flood,” Toole said. “But the outpouring of support has been just overwhelming. It’s really been incredibly amazing.”

Toole’s friend and former Columbia resident Matthew Painter, who lives in New York, heard about the campaign from friends in Europe and Asia.

“Bluetile is more than just a place to buy boards; it's part community center,” Painter said. “It’s a safe space for local kids to hang out, and in an age of social media, a place where people from all over the area meet in real life. Through its community building, Bluetile has gained a national reputation. It’s time that community help David in return.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Friends near and far help Five Points skate shop."