You could ask any person to associate someone with skateboarding and the chances are you’ll hear one name back immediately: Tony Hawk. Let’s face it, the man has done so much to build the sport to where it’s at today and have the loyal fan base it does. However, the legend is not done yet! It’s now time to pick up your custom skateboard deck in excitement for what is about to come.
The Tony Hawk Foundation (THF) has announced a partnership with the Ralph C Wilson Jr Foundation (RCWJRF) to put forward over $1.5 million in funding for new skateparks in low-income communities.
THF has helped to fund more than 600 sites across the US, but as part of the Built To Play Skatepark Program (BTPSP) that started up in the spring, RCWJRF has been able to use Hawk’s organisation to promote the building of skateparks in the sixteen counties in Western New York and Southeast Michigan.
Grants of up to $250,000 from the BTPSP have been provided to Washington Square and Town of Amherst in New York and City of Ypsilanti and Wilson Park in Michigan.
Mauricio Mejia, a 17-year-old who is from Ypsilanti, commented: “With the grant coming through, it really hypes me up for the future of this park, as well as it being a sign that you can really make change in not only your life, but [also] the lives of people around you and in your community.”
Now is the perfect time for you and your crew to pack up those skateboards and plan a holiday visit - and pull off some awesome-looking tricks - at one of these skateparks.
