“Our mission is to actively work to create and support a safe, youth friendly, urban environment for the Upstate. Our mission supports skateboarding, skating and outside recreation that provides a safe, positive environment for our youth.”

Our project is to assist in the funding and creating of a skatepark in Spartanburg which will be operated by the City of Spartanburg Parks and Recreation.

Dear Skate Park of Spartanburg Friend,

A skate park is a great way for the kids of Spartanburg to build community with other kids of different ages and groups while pushing themselves physically and building self esteem that comes from enjoyment and mastery of new skills. Spartanburg is in need of positive things for kids to do and adding a recreational skate park to the community will give our young population a place to use their creative energies and positively interact with others.

Skating is now the third largest participant sport in the U.S

. Today, there are over 16 million skateboarders and an estimated 400 public skate parks. Interestingly, in 2002, there were only 9 million little league baseball players in the U.S. and yet most cities with had yet to build skate parks. At a recent national convention of parks-and-recreation officials, the topic most were eager to discuss was the building of skate parks. Currently, Spartanburg kids who want to skateboard are traveling to Greenville, Asheville, and Inman.

Fortunately, our city recognizes the importance of listening to our young people and after local skaters “selected” a site on Union Street, the city responded. On our home front, the site work for the proposed park on Union Street is almost ready to implement. The location is ideal because it is next to the walking trail and behind the YMCA and that will lend itself to becoming an athletic center in a centrally located area along with improving Union Street. We also anticipate that the new facility will also be able to host other outdoor events. Thus far, the city has completed legal work, signed the lease and addressed such issues as parking, fencing, lighting, landscaping, etc. Already on board, the city has hired engineers, a construction manager and an expert skating consultant all of whom are helping to bring us closer to construction.

Now, the project is back in the hands of the skate boarders and the community. The kids are desperately anxious to see this skate park come to life and your support will bring the project closer to breaking ground. Skateboarding keeps kids exercising outdoors and gives them the opportunity to develop skills physically and socially. Please show your support for the kids of Spartanburg and the coming skate park. Your financial donation will help get the project started and improve the community.

Thank you and be part of this skate park movement!

COALITION FOR ACTIVE YOUTH

SOS May 2008 Recap

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