Tony Hawk Foundation

What the Skateparks Have To Say
Feedback from our Grant Recipients about the Tony Hawk Foundation, the skatepark development process, how to be successful, and why a skatepark is worth the effort...

A little bit of support goes a long way...

"This award is the most important commitment to the realization of our rural area skatepark, and is the catalyst for calling upon the many smaller pledges promised in our area. Our most heartfelt thanks to the Tony Hawk Foundation for your contribution to our community youth renewal effort. We are about to realize a two-year effort." --Pastor Ken Brumfield, Poteet, Texas ($10,000 grant recipient)

"Could you hear the screaming from New Braunfels TX? We are really stoked. This is big news out here. Thanks for the huge boost. We'll make you proud." --James Skinner, New Braunfels, Texas ($25,000 grant recipient)

"We learned at the Town Council meeting that The Tony Hawk Foundation has indeed donated $10,000.00 toward our skatepark! It means a lot to the kids, especially. You generous donation has pushed us over the top and we should begin advertising for bids immediately. Thank you very much! " --Donna Eberle, Clifton Forge, Virginia ($10,000 grant recipient)

"Receiving the Tony Hawk Foundation Grant helped us to generate other funding and gain name recognition for the project. It brought to light the fact that if the Tony Hawk Foundation took this much interest in Milton-Freewater's skatepark, so should the locals. As for bringing recognition to the project, you cannot have children, or be around skateboarding, X-Games, etcetera without knowing the name Tony Hawk!! We are extremely grateful to have been selected as a grant recipient. We now have a world-class bowl, and will soon have a world-class street course. Thank you Tony Hawk Foundation!!!" --Mike Watkins, Milton-Freewater, Oregon ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The monetary contribution from the Tony Hawk Foundation to the Putnam County Skatepark was pivotal to the success of our fundraising. However, to count only the money would be to miss a large part of the foundation's impact. The Tony Hawk name, associated with our park, gave us an automatic 'in' with all of our other funding sources. Your grant energized our committee, our community and our youth, and gave us the confidence to move forward and achieve our goal of providing a high-quality free public skatepark for the youth of our area." -- Amy Robinson, Greencastle, Indiana ($25,000 grant recipient)

"I don't know if I can convey just how much this will mean to this city, and especially to its youth. To have someone of your prominence recognize our efforts for the kids to this extent is a major boost to town morale." -- Mayor Scott Beckstead, Waldport, Oregon ($10,000 grant recipient)

"It's not an exaggeration to say that the Tony Hawk award was the catalyst for our new skatepark. The Rasmusen Foundation wanted to know whether our Tony Hawk proposal was successful before they made a decision to fund us. The two grant awards together prodded the city to move ahead with paving. Your support also helped energize the kids at a time when they might otherwise have begun feeling very discouraged. Now they are gung-ho to raise the rest of the money needed for a fully furnished skatepark." -- Anne Marie Holen, City of Homer, Alaska ($10,000 grant recipient)

"The kids were so excited to get money from Tony Hawk, they didn't want to cash the check, but we decided we'd better. Tony hand-wrote some suggestions on the skatepark plan, and we were all sure that we should be the one to keep it." -- AnnaLynne Goorhuis, Reedsport Activity Park, Reedsport, Oregon ($5,000 grant recipient)

"Without the Tony Hawk Foundation we would not have been able to go to the county for matching funds. With our efforts and the recognition of the Tony Hawk Foundation, we were able to convince a neighboring township to contribute. I was (visiting) in the middle school when they announced the (Tony Hawk) grant over the P.A. system. You could hear the cheers coming from all over the school." -- Brad Durasa, Downriver Recreation Committee, Algonac, Michigan ($10,000 grant recipient)

The Tony Hawk Foundation has given us an opportunity that is difficult to find: funds to build a skate park. This was especially important to our unincorporated rural area with no 'city' funds. The application process was available on the Internet and we received quick responses for questions through e-mail. Most important, the $5,000 grant we received can be used as 30 percent matching for county funds, so the $5,000 will draw another $15,000 for us down the line. The Foundation's youth-centered attitude sends an important message about the power of youth involvement." -- Anne Weber, Mountain Arts and Recreation Coalition, Frazier Park, California ($5,000 grant recipient)

"Kids, grandparents and many others have been asking us 'when' or 'if' a skatepark was ever going to be built in Springfield. It will give us all great pleasure to tell them, 'YES, thanks to the generous support from the Tony Hawk Foundation and others who recognize the importance of kids needing a safe and fun place to congregate and practice their sport!'" -- Barbara Zentner, Friends of Willamalane, Springfield, Oregon ($25,000 grant recipient)

Much is gained during the skatepark development process...

"The whole skatepark experience has been a wonder to skaters and non-skaters alike. Old crusty citizens marvel at the athleticism and imaginations of the skaters and skaters have a new (or perhaps first time) respect for how a small town village government can work if patience and fortitude are applied to a community in need. We remain indebted to the Foundation not only for the cash and vouchers, but also for the insights into the sport and the little pep talks we received throughout the process." --David Snider, Councilman, Somerset, Ohio ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The most important lesson is to never underestimate what motivated youth can accomplish with the help of everyone. I can't speak for the other adults, but I learned there is a lot of funding out there and if you apply yourself and work hard there are people and organizations that are willing to help." --Barbara Jackson, Livermore Falls, Maine ($5,000 grant recipient)

"The many meetings we had with local skaters, bicyclists, and business owners led to a deeper understanding of each others needs, a melding of spirit, and a huge lesson on the art of compromise for the greater good." --Dave Everett, Kent, Washington ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The unique thing about this whole project is that it was initiated by the kids. What they've learned out of this is if you have a dream and you're willing to work hard on it, you can make it a reality. That's an important lesson for kids to learn." --Mayor John Schott, Anthony, Kansas ($5,000 grant recipient)

"Skaters learned that to be successful in building a skatepark they must change people's attitude and conception of skateboarding and skateparks. City officials and community members learned that skateboarding is not a fad--it has been around a long time, and will be around a long time to come." --Pat Hassen, McKinleyville, California ($1,000 grant recipient)

"I have learned that our young people are more patient, forgiving, and tenacious than most adults. They are willing to show up at meeting after meeting, organize event after event--coming up with creative ideas on a regular basis, and acting on them. I am honored to be associated with them." --Adult member of BS2 Skatepark Committee, Bath, West Virginia ($5,000 grant recipient)

"The process of building a skatepark was a learning process for all. The skaters learned that they can influence decisions and that they can trust others. City officials learned that skateboarding is not just a fad sport, it has a strong following and if you build the skatepark right it will be well received." --John Turnbull, Parks and Recreation Sports Director, Bloomington, Indiana ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The most apparent lessons learned were that if you set your mind to accomplish a goal it can be reached no matter how many obstacles may be placed in front of you. Since this was a government (city) project, the skaters had to work with local elected officials. They learned that the old adage 'You can't fight city hall' is not true. By promoting a positive image and attitude and a willingness to find 'common ground', elected officials and their constituents can work together no matter what the age difference" --Jim Laffrenzen, Worthington, Minnesota ($1,000 grant recipient)

"City officials and adults learned that providing a skatepark for skaters did in fact eliminate the problem of skating in undesignated areas of the city. Liability insurance was the excuse the city originally used for not having a skatepark. Come to find out, for only 100 dollars more a year the city insurance would cover the skatepark. City officials never bothered to look into it until the pressure was put on. Everyone is now happy with the skatepark and relieved to have a place for skaters to go." --Yvette Ebright, Herington, Kansas ($1,000 grant recipient)

From one skatepark advocate to another...

"The biggest thing that I would recommend to people is that they be patient. There are always going to be closed-minded individuals who are going to raise a ruckus, but stay the course and keep going. In the end, the benefits of a skatepark for the entire community will far outweigh the headaches. A skatepark is a must for every community. --John Murray, Washburn, Wisconsin ($5,000 grant recipient)

"I think the one HUGE thing all communities should do is have the skaters involved from the start, which is critical for a successful park. I don't think we would have done anything differently, we researched the concept for two years prior to making it a city-council issue, we had all the tough questions and problems worked out long before we made our presentations to our governing body... Do your homework and have the kids involved--that is the KEY to SUCCESS." --Chris Tuttle, Staunton, Virginia ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The kids have to be involved in the planning and research of the products [ramps] purchased for their park. They know what type of ramps they want and what they will use. If you buy something they don't like, they won't use it and will be back on the streets. Get parents involved. We only had one parent show up for the scheduled meetings, along with one Village Board Trustee. Other than that, the kids came faithfully to each meeting, but they came alone with no support. Like someone said, 'If this was a baseball meeting, dads would be sitting here with their boys, but dads can't relate to skateboarding, so they show no interest.' If there was a way to educate parents so the kids and their parents had a connection, it would be easier to sell the whole concept of a skatepark to adults, therefore receiving their support (both monetarily and parentally)." --Lisa Kaiding, Boonville, New York ($5,000 grant recipient)

"The most effective fundraising activity was convincing the City of Milton-Freewater that this project could be a destination. There were not any Dreamland Parks within approximately 150 miles, and we are located right between Hood River, Oregon and Hailey, Idaho (two unbelievable skateparks). If we built a great park, the skaters would stop and support the local economy by purchasing various items (food, fuel, motel, etcetera). My recommendation to others is to build a quality skatepark!! Do not get in a hurry to put something out there that isn't going to challenge the skaters. They will get bored with it very fast. Other communities need to see the addition of the skatepark as a small piece to their economic puzzle. Build a park that skaters want to skate--they will come from all over and spend money in your town. Not all skaters are kids." --Mike Watkins, Milton-Freewater, Oregon ($1,000 grant recipient)

"We had a number of parents and athletes dedicated to the cause and willing to work cooperatively with city staff to get this skatepark accomplished. Charged with raising funds and input into park design, the athletes have a sense of ownership of the park, which we believe will contribute to its long-term durability and vitality." --Amanda Blazer, Newton, Kansas ($5,000 grant recipient)

"If you have neighboring cities with skateparks, don't duplicate their design or equipment. We used some unique pieces [ramps] on ours that others didn't have--it brought in kids from up to 70 miles away to try it out when we opened." --Thomas Anderson, Chief of Police, Eagle Grove, Iowa ($1,000 grant recipient)

The process bridges a gap; the skatepark solves a problem...

"The skatepark has been totally positive! Complaints about skaters in local shopping centers and along sidewalks have ceased because the kids are now at the skatepark instead of where they aren't supposed to be." --Officer Jon Landis, Blaine, Washington ($5,000 grant recipient)

"There isn't a time when school is out of session and the weather is good that there isn't a crowd at the skatepark." --Mary Browne, Madison, Indiana ($1,000 grant recipient)

"So many local kids got and continue to get so much out of the park. The boys most directly involved gained our community's respect and learned so many things that will help them in their future lives." --Barb Seaman, Homer, Alaska ($10,000 grant recipient)

"The availability of this facility [skatepark] significantly reduced the number of incidents where public and private facilities were damaged by skateboards. Also, [the youth feeling] ownership in the facility reduces vandalism and littering at the skatepark." --Robert Johnson, Director of Public Works, Cadillac, Michigan ($1,000 grant recipient)

"The (skatepark) project is immensely worthwhile and has unlimited possibilities for the entire community!" --Joan Stek, Boys & Girls Club Executive Director, Placerville, California ($5,000 grant recipient)

"Many neighbors to the park worried about the noise, kids loitering, etcetera. We have not experienced [problems with] any of those things." --Jean Rumiano, Willows, California ($1,000 grant recipient)

"I'm pleasantly surprised at how many kids utilize the park and how willing they are to share their knowledge regarding the sport. Skateboarding is not just another fad! The kids love it." --Sandy Falk, Parks and Recreation Supervisor, Antigo, Wisconsin ($1,000 grant recipient)

"We had a problem with skaters on public property and in neighborhoods. This negatively energized citizens, but when we discovered what the sport was all about, gauged the sincerity of the skaters and how they behaved at public meetings, we couldn't help but get engaged." --David Snider, Councilman, Somerset, Ohio ($1,000 grant recipient)