The skateboarding community in Manitowoc is looking to raise money for the renovation of the Manitowoc skatepark.
The park, located near the Miracle League baseball field, has been around since 2005 and was built using wooden ramps.
Over the 20 years of its life, the ramps have begun to deteriorate and have become unusable.
Kris Kouba, one of the leaders of the restoration effort, tells SeehaferNews.com that he and the rest of the avid skateboarders have been doing patchwork on the ramps for quite some time.
“One of the bank ramps would have a like a soft, mushy spot, and then eventually there’d be a hole there. So we would take the panel apart and just patch it up underneath,” he explained. “But we think in the next year or two that it’s not going to be feasible to be repairing these ramps anymore.”
The ramps would be replaced with concrete poured versions, which is the modern design rule for skateparks, and is how the other half of the current park was built.
Proposed design for the Manitowoc Skatepark
The project would cost an estimated $250,000, but thanks to a $100,000 grant from the West Foundation and a matching grant from the City of Manitowoc, the group just needs to raise the final $9,500
“We started the GoFundMe, I think it was at the beginning of April,” Kouba noted. “Just this last couple of months, we’ve raised $10,500 just on the GoFundMe.”
Those who would like to contribute are also encouraged to visit the Manitowoc Skatepark Preservation Project Facebook page, where you can see a special treat the skaters are giving to each donor.
“When people donate to the GoFundMe, we’re filming like little videos where we dedicate a trick to that person. No matter how small the donation is,” Kouba revealed.
To learn more about the project or to make a donation, visit the Manitowoc Skatepark Preservation Project page at GoFundMe.com.
