#upscalevandal

This past weekend, REFORM Alliance and leading sports brand PUMA came together this weekend to bring forth a special, once in a lifetime holiday experience for system impacted teenagers and their families. 

During the event, attending guests were greeted by REFORM CEO Robert Rooks and streetwear legend, entrepreneur Mike Camargo, PUMA Creative Consultant and Founder of Upscale Vandal widely known for his work launching the Roc Nation apparel brand and the re-launch of Pharrell's Billionaire Boys Club.  

The group was then welcomed to an intimate discussion with Camargo where he provided a motivational address to the teenagers, many of whom share Camargo’s same aspirations in fashion. Within the session, Camargo shared his journey in building a streetwear legacy as he candidly disclosed the hardships he experienced along the way. The discussion closed with an intimate Q&A session where Camargo exchanged advice for those pursuing their passions for powerful stories from the teens who shared their unique stories on how the criminal justice system has impacted their lives. 

Shortly after, giveback attendees were treated to a surprise shopping spree. With gift cards in hand, guests broke out into an exciting blitz trying on PUMA’s wide array of sneakers, hoodies and more to wear this holiday season. The gifted shopping spree was paired with a suite of immersive gaming experiences from F1, to Xbox, Skill Cube and more. 

The weekend’s guests were brought together by five of REFORM Alliance’s nonprofit partners: Institute for Transformative Mentoring New School, Community Connections for Youth, Drama Club, BronxConnect, and New Visions for Public Schools. 

The giveback experience falls on the heels of a busy week for REFORM Alliance which hosted holiday events for system impacted women with the Brooklyn Nets last week and system impacted families just this past Tuesday with the Philadelphia Eagles and 76ers.