LONGMONT, Colo. — Two sisters are channeling their love for roller skating into a powerful mission: raising money and awareness for the disease that claimed their sister’s life.
The second annual Megan’s Moon Skate is happening this weekend, Aug. 16-17, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds. Hosted by Freewheel Limited, a Longmont-based roller skating startup, the event aims to raise funds to combat drug addiction — a cause that hits close to home for the company’s founders, Mandy Martin and Melissa Blumenshine.
Martin and Blumenshine created Freewheel Limited to share the joy they once felt roller skating with their sister, Megan. The three sisters spent countless hours at the local roller rink growing up, bonding over the thrill of gliding across the smooth surface, under the bright lights and loud music.
“When somebody comes to those front doors, it's just this feeling of like, 'I'm so ready to skate, I'm so excited to skate,'" Martin said. "They come back to the skate room, they get their pair of skates, they put them on, and then they're off. And it's just magical."
In 2020, their middle sister Megan died from a drug overdose.
“Megan was just a walking ray of sunshine, man," Blumenshine said. "She just had so much energy. People were drawn to her."
The night Megan passed away, her sisters stepped outside and saw a thin crescent moon in the sky. They decided to name the event in her honor: Megan’s Moon.
Addiction is a battle all three sisters have faced. Today, Blumenshine is three years clean, and Martin has been clean for six years.
“We're both recovering, and we're gonna fight back against this. We're gonna do what we can in Megan's honor,” Blumenshine said.
A portion of the funds raised from Megan’s Moon Skate will be donated to Recovery Café, a local nonprofit that supports individuals recovering from drug addiction. For Martin and Blumenshine, it’s a way to ensure Megan’s legacy lives on through the joy of skating — a passion she deeply cherished.
“It means the world to us, and it meant the world to Megan," Martin said. "It really did, I mean, she loved roller skating. She just got lost along the way."
On Saturday, Aug. 17 the sessions will be at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and run from 12-2 p.m., 2:30-4:30 p.m., 5-7 p.m. There will be an adults-only session for people 18 and older that will run from 7:20-9:30 p.m.
Admission is $11, and skate rentals are $5.50.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or substance abuse, immediate help can be found through:
More statewide resources can also be found at End Overdose Colorado and on the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment's overdose prevention page.