Toshiro Towata-Roy, a long time Ride employee and well known friend to many in the industry, has been going through some tough times, and his friends have come together in his time of need. After months of being holed up in hospitals, Tosh underwent intensive heart surgery yesterday. According to a Facebook update from his mom, the surgery went well. Tosh has another four months of hospital stay and a heart transplant in his future.

Following in the footsteps of Tosh's homemade facemask brand, Muff, Andrew Burns, Alex Lessard and Stef Cott have started up a project (Let Tosh Ride) to sell clothes and accessories where 100% of the profits go to Tosh, to try to get him back on his feet and eventually back on his snowboard.

Richard Roth asked Andrew Burns (not that Andrew Burns) about what they've started.

(photo: Tosh and Stef Cott at last year's Push.ca Party)

So Burns, give me a little background on this project.
I've known Tosh for about three years now; I met him through Stefan Cott of Ride Snowboards. I could tell right away Tosh was a good kid. He was always the happiest kid at parties and on the hill, always so stoked to do laps no matter how bad it was outside, always going off about his company Muff and how it was the sweetest thing since sliced bread. 

What's this Muff thing?
Muff is an insulated facemask company Tosh started a few years ago. It was a Canadian-based company with his mom behind the scenes sewing all the sweet looking masks and as far as I know he was the first one to make masks like this. Definitely the best looking ones any of us have seen.

How is this related to Let Tosh Ride (LTR)?
Ever since I've known Tosh he's always had a heart complication. He was always able to continue on snowboarding and doing what he wanted to do, but it was always in the back of his mind. This summer, when Tosh wound up in the hospital, I didn't expect him to be there this long or have to go through this much. Unfortunately his heart had other plans, so Alex Lessard and Stefan and I decided to start LTR to help relieve some of Tosh's financial burdens.

How will you be doing this?
Well it all came together rather quickly. Within twelve hours Alex and I coming up with the name, I got on a sewing machine and made a face mask in honor of Tosh's Muff company and showed him. He was so stoked. After that we decided to release a line of LTR masks where 100% of the profits will go to Tosh.

Where can people pick these up?
Like I mentioned, this is all happening quick and as of right now we are currently working on stock. This whole concept is only 24 hours old so we need to get some things together. We'll let everyone know when the facemasks are done and where they can pick them up. The goal of this article is to get awareness of what we are doing out there and hopefully to get some people stoked on helping out a good friend of ours.

Is it just facemasks or do you have anything else in the works?
Actually Stefan is working on T-shirts as we speak. So there will be T-shirts available soon as well as the facemasks, some scarves, and whatever else we can figure out how to make on a sewing machine.

Are you looking for anyone to help out and pitch in for materials?
We are looking for whatever support we can get. All proceeds are for Tosh; we're not trying to make any money off of the project for ourselves. We just want to get him back on the hills soon as possible.

Sounds like an awesome idea. Do you plan on taking it any further?
Eventually yes. Right now our sole focus is getting Tosh back on the hill. But in the short time we've been talking about it, we have also played with some ideas for setting up snowboard-based charity events for organizations such as Sick Kids and the Heart and Stroke Foundation; organizations we know Tosh has love for.

Where can people go to check out what you guys have for sale?
Right now the best place for now would be to visit the Facebook page.

Get well soon Tosh!
LTR Crew.

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