It was a typical September school day in 2006. Wes Elam sat in computer class working on a website about skateboarding. Mr. Gudorf asked him something like, “Why don’t you guys have a skatepark yet?” Wes replied something like, “We need money.”
Wes continued to tell the story of how he and other skaters had attended meetings and tried to get the city to build a skatepark in Celina. Soon Mr. Gudorf realized two things: First: Wes seemed to know a lot about the skatepark effort, and second: Skateboarders of Celina have been trying to get a skatepark built for a very long time.
Soon Wes was giving names, places and ideas faster than Mr. Gudorf could follow up on them. Wes, his friend Clayton, and Mr. Gudorf (Keith) set up a meeting with Mrs. Sharon LaRue, Mayor of Celina, and parks director, Mr. Jeff Fortkamp. Mr. Fortkamp showed the three the research he had personally done over the years including pictures of skateparks he had visited in surrounding communities. The Mayor was on the side of the skateboarders for sure. The bottom line: it will take $40,000 to get a skatepark in Celina.
As the three began to brainstorm moneymaking ideas, it was Wes who first said, “It’d be cool if we could have a Skate Day.” Mr. Gudorf said, “What do you mean?” Wes began to describe what he meant.
In the next few days, the first Skate Day had been scheduled for the Saturday during Thanksgiving break at the First Church of God parking lot on Fairground road in Celina. Jon Wenning, owner of Jony-D images was contacted and things really began to take off. Jony’s brother had recently bought a DJ system and was able to provide the music. Wes, Clayton, Caleb and Keith (Mr. Gudorf) rode around town with a borrowed trailer picking up all the neighborhood ramps, rails, boxes etc. to use for Skate Day.
Keith fired up the grill and made hotdogs. The Hannahs showed up as they have now for almost every skate day. McDonald’s donated the orange drink. Other food and snacks were donated for the day. We earned $150 on that first Skate Day with about 70 skateboarders in attendance.
That’s how this most recent effort got started. This year, Skate Days and fundraisers have added about $5,000 to the Celina Skatepark Fund for a grand total of just over $12,000.
Yes, we need more money, but the best thing to happen this year has been getting the word out to Celina and the surrounding communities that skateboarders need a place. If you have time, check out http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/display_state.php?state=OH and see the good, the bad, and the ugly in the parks around Ohio. Celina doesn’t just need a skatepark, WE NEED A GREAT PARK!
Thanks to all those in the area who have been trying and helping to get a skatepark for the last who-knows-how-many years! IT CAN HAPPEN. WE CAN DO IT.
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4 comments:
i got the skatewave packet today in the mail and it is awesome i have a million ideas running through my head on ways to make money but i cant express them online so i will write them down and hand them down.thanks for your help keith.
Can't wait to see them!!
kg
check out my blog i have photos posted that you can steal.
hey whats going on? i like how im partway main subject on here. so we should go through and deck out the celinaskatepark web site. its getting bland. anyways trevor we need your pictures from the last skateday. Mr. G hit me up and me n you n trevor need to plan something spectacular. send me a e-mail at wesley_skates@hotmail.com . lol sorry for the url. but ill hopefully talk to both of you this week.
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