The skateboarding community is mourning the loss of 7 year old Jayden Barger, a Skate AC student who was killed after being struck by a vehicle.
Skate AC shared the news on social media, remembering Jayden as a kid who was always excited to show his instructors what he had learned.
If you have spent time around Skate AC, you have probably heard kids calling out to instructors with a quick, "Mr. J, look!" or "Mr. Jeremiah, watch this!"
Jayden was one of them.
He loved having someone watch him skate and was always ready to show off something he had been practicing.
Skate AC shared footage of Jayden learning with Mr. Jeremiah, practicing a maneuver and enjoying his time on a skateboard.
Those clips now hold a much deeper meaning for the people who knew him.
The organization also urged drivers to slow down around intersections and asked parents to continue teaching children how to cross streets safely.
Jayden was just 7 years old, but he had already become a familiar face at Skate AC.
His instructors will remember him as a kid who loved to skate, enjoyed encouragement and was always excited to show someone what he had been working on.
"Jayden, you were seen. You were heard. You were loved. And you will not be forgotten," Skate AC wrote.
Skate AC Posted:
"Our hearts are completely broken. link in bio
Last night, we lost one of our Skate AC students, 7-year-old Jayden Barger, after he was tragically struck by a vehicle. 💔🕊️
Anyone who has been around our programs knows the kids who are always yelling:
“Mr. J, look!”
“Mr. Chris, watch this!”
“Mr. Dino!”
“Mr. Jeremiah, look what I can do!”Jayden was one of those kids.
He had so much energy and always wanted to show us what he was learning. Like so many young people, he simply wanted to feel seen, heard, encouraged and safe.
Maybe that is something we can all carry with us in his memory:
See our kids. Hear our kids. Encourage our kids. Love our kids.
The clips in this post show Jayden learning to skateboard with Mr. Jeremiah, practicing a little maneuver and simply being a kid.
We are going to miss him tremendously.
We also ask our entire community to use this tragedy as a reminder to slow down, pay attention at intersections and teach our young people to cross streets and corners as safely as possible. Please watch out for our children.
Most importantly, Jayden’s mother and family need us right now.
A GoFundMe has been created to help with his funeral expenses. If you can donate, please donate. If you cannot, please share it. And please pray for his mother and his entire family.
This is one of the saddest things Skate AC has ever experienced. These children become part of our family, and today our family is hurting.
Jayden, you were seen.
You were heard.
You were loved.
And you will not be forgotten.May God hold you in His arms and surround your family with strength and peace.
Rest peacefully, Jayden. We love you. ❤️🛹🙏
Please donate and share.
GoFundMe link in bio/story."