Fundraising reaches 80% mark for brand spanking new Waterford skate park

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Postmedia file

Plans are transferring forward shortly for a brand new skate park in Waterford.

Tom O’Hara, a volunteer board member for the challenge, stated about 80 per cent of the funding – the park will price an estimated $750,000, which incorporates in-kind donations of providers and supplies – has been collected.

“We’ve raised about $600,000 in money and in-kind donations to this point,” O’Hara stated on Tuesday. “We had calls from native companies that donated $15,000 in money simply final week. We’ve had large assist from the group. That is going to be a really properly used facility.”

The County of Norfolk has supplied 1.25 acres of land adjoining to the Waterford Heritage Museum for the skate park. O’Hara stated the park shall be about 7,500 sq. toes in dimension and be constructed for the usage of skateboards, scooters and BMX bikes.

“We wished to design one thing multi-dimensional,” stated O’Hara. “Parks which might be one-dimensional have a tendency to go away out the bigger teams of customers.”

He stated youth and younger adults on scooters are the biggest group of customers, adopted by BMX riders after which skate boarders.

Waterford is at the moment and not using a skate park. There’s a makeshift BMX park off of the Waterford Heritage Path, stated O’Hara, nevertheless it’s on provincial authorities land and “isn’t the most secure to be used.”

“We wish the skate park to be protected and accessible for all,” he stated.

Volunteers behind the skate park meet each two weeks to advance the challenge and have consulted with youth in regards to the elements they need probably the most, together with ramps, pipes, curbs, pads and ledges.

The park shall be sufficiently big for 50 folks to make use of at a time. It is going to be product of concrete that may require little upkeep, stated O’Hara.

“We don’t need this to price the taxpayer for upkeep down the highway.”

O’Hara stated the skate park board is reaching out to a neighborhood engineering agency and will have a draft drawing to share with the general public by late fall.

The plan is to start building by subsequent spring with a projected opening in July.

Come Kick It, a park construct fundraiser and barbecue, with silent and stay auctions, shall be held on Sept. 18 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Waterford Legion.

Tickets are $65 and may be bought at Kerry’s St. James Avenue Eatery, Villages of Waterford, and Waterford Home equipment and Extra. Tickets may also be bought by way of the Waterford Skate Park Fb web page.

The occasion will function stay music from Norfolk-based band The Shrubberies.