ABOUT
Our mission:
To boldly serve our community through community events and service projects that build relationship and bring hope.
THE Be BOLD
STORY
Our family began in 2004 when Amy and I were married. Within 6 months Amy became pregnant with our oldest, Tristan Michael. We were young and struggled through a lot in those early years and I believe that God intentionally gave us Tristan so early as a way to hold us together. As the years went on jobs changed, moves were made, a sister and brother were added to our family and new hobbies were found. The most prominent of those hobbies being dirt jumping (look it up, it’s really cool). Tristan became quite the little rider, drawing a lot of attention and excitement to our lives.
Amy and I decided that we would do everything we could to cultivate this passion of Tristan’s. We saw big things for him and maybe we saw big things for ourselves too. Somebody has to be the parents of guys like Travis Pastrana and Tony Hawk right? Well one day all those plans changed. Tristan was riding to his friend’s house, just down the street, when he had a really bad accident. Now this kid was known for throwing some really big tricks on some really big jumps so an accident in the neighborhood just didn’t seem all that concerning. By the way, did i mention he was 9 years old at this point? Anyway, regardless of where it happened, Tristan’s accident resulted in a grade three spleen laceration (like one more grade and he wouldn't have a spleen anymore). We spent the next week in the hospital and then were charged with keeping our overactive, extreme sports 9 year old on bed rest for the next 8 weeks. During this time we were helpless to watch our boy struggle both physically and emotionally.
He didn’t see the injury and really didn’t feel too bad and it was so hard for him to be quiet and still. “While I was recovering I found myself clinging to God for help as I had been riding 60 hours a week before my crash. I eventually found a verse that helped. It was the verse Deuteronomy 31.6 which is where D31 gets its name. This verse says “Be strong and courageous do not be afraid or terrified because of him for the Lord your God will go with you He will never fail you nor forsake you.” - Tristan Hardesty And so, D31 was conceived. Amy and Tristan saw an opportunity to use T’s accident for good. Tristan learned that bad stuff happens, it just does, so we have the opportunity, as followers of Christ, to seek God’s will. They decided to put Tris’s brain to work designing positive T-shirt slogans for the biking world. Sayings like “I ride bikes” and “Pop wheelies, not pills”, all with the idea that Tristan wanted people to know he loves Jesus and so should they. As D31, we sponsored a few events and sold a few t-shirts but things didn’t really “take off” like we hoped. During this time T recovered but unfortunately his passion for riding did not and eventually his riding and D31 fizzled out. Fast forward to the end of the weirdest year we‘ve ever experienced and Amy, Tristan and I all heard God say we need to resurrect D31. Not as just a fun biking t-shirt company but as a platform to encourage each other and those around us to BE BOLD. Deuteronomy 31:6 says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Moses is telling the Israelites that they do not need to be afraid of the people living in the land they are about to go into because God is going ahead of them and has already given them the victory, so trust in God. Now let me be clear, D31 is not a mercenary terrorist organization aimed at destroying anything and everything that God tells us to. On the contrary, we want to share God boldly because He has given us victory. We want to encourage our friends, neighbors and family to do the same. Our intent is; to create products that promote conversations about His love, to be involved in our community through volunteering and creating volunteering opportunities, and to give back to and promote other organizations who are promoting God’s love and plan. Most importantly, to listen for God’s direction and follow it because He has given us victory and calls us to share it with everyone.