Skatepark Meets Matching Grant Goal

Photo by Len Villano

The Sturgeon Bay Skatepark Initiative (SBSI) is pleased to report that it has met and exceeded its goal of raising $50,000 to match a challenge grant offered by an anonymous local supporter in early August. The grant promised to match gifts contributed from the community up to $50,000. Thanks to several fundraising activities and an outpouring of support, SBSI met and exceeded the goal in late October.

Laurel Hauser and Matt Dixner Young, co-chairs of the Sturgeon Bay Skatepark Initiative, expressed the group’s gratitude to the many donors who stepped forward. “We’re grateful for the sustained enthusiasm the community has for this project and for the hard work the kids are doing to help raise funds. We’re obviously extremely grateful to the challenge grant donor as well. The matching grant leveraged all the donations and hard work.”

SBSI is composed of students, parents and business owners working in partnership with the City of Sturgeon Bay Parks and Recreation Department to build a professionally-designed, poured concrete skatepark to be located on the west side of Sturgeon Bay. The park will be open for skateboarding and BMX biking. Designs for the park were created by Grindline Design of Seattle, WA, one of the country’s top skatepark design firms.

Newly-created progress signs located around Sturgeon Bay show that SBSI is nearly 90% of the way to completing its overall fundraising goal of $405,000. The freestanding progress sign supports were built by Mr. John Rosenthal’s 8th Grade Technology Educations classes at T.J. Walker Middle School with the help of retired Technology Education teacher, Mr. Jerry Knutson. According to Mr. Rosenthal, the students enjoyed using the skills they’ve learned for a project they care about. “There’s a lot of excitement about the skatepark. My students either skate themselves, have friends that skate or are hoping to learn to skate once the park is built. We were happy to help SBSI with a project that will help spread the word.”

The Skatepark Initiative has raised $360,000 to date; $45,000 remains to be raised. According to Dixner Young, “We’re hoping to complete fundraising by the end of this year and be on schedule to break ground in spring; to do so, we need to raise an average of $1,000 a day between now and December 31! We encourage anyone who supports youth activities in our community to make a contribution. Any amount helps and is greatly appreciated and every donor will be invited to help celebrate at our grand opening next summer.”

SBSI is a fund of the Door County Community Foundation. Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to DCCF, P.O. Box 802, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Sizable gifts may be pledged over multiple years. For more information about SBSI or to make a contribution, visit http://www.sbskate.org or call 920.746-1786.