Ambitious, but not impossible
<p>Tim Ozminkowski, 24, performs a 360-flip off the end of a feature at the skate park in Coeur d’Alene on Monday. “Go Skateboarding Day” is a fundraising event at the park Saturday that will include a yard sale, trick competition and food and beverages to benefit efforts towards a new skate park at McEuen Park.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A new organization called "CDAsk8prk" is beginning a fundraising campaign to generate enough money to build a new skateboard structure at McEuen Park.
Nathan "Ope" Baker, acting director of the organization, said the first event, "Go Skate Day," will be this Saturday from 2 p.m. to dusk at the existing skateboard park behind Memorial Field.
"Our current goal is to get the design money together," he said. "That will cost between $15,000 and $17,000."
The event will feature a number of skating competitions and other fun activities, Baker said. There will also be a large garage sale and food vendors on site for Go Skate Day.
"A lot of people ask how they can help us, but they don't have a lot of money and they aren't going be sitting on the board," Baker said. "Really this yard sale is a way that people can help. They can bring down stuff they don't want anymore and we'll try to sell it, and all the money will go toward the park."
Baker said the new skating organization has been working to get established and organized. It has created a website, www.cdask8prk.com, and a Facebook page under its "CDAsk8prk" name.
It also has a board of directors to oversee and manage the fundraising. The board meets regularly, and its next meeting is Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Coeur d'Alene Public Library's Community Room. The public is invited to attend.
"These are all public meetings and we would encourage anyone interested in a new park to get involved," he said. "We already outgrew the occupancy limits at the old council chambers. It would be awesome if we could exceed the occupancy of the Community Room."
Baker said the ultimate goal is to build a state-of-the-art concrete skateboard structure that is aesthetically pleasing.
"It is just as much a working piece of art as it is a skate park," he said. "We still love the old park dearly, but it is time for a new park now - one that the next generation can grow into."
Baker said CDAsk8prk has not estimated the amount of money it will need for the park, and probably won't have that number until the plans are designed.
"Lewiston just received a grant to help pay for their park, and we plan to do the same," he said, adding the goal is get the park built within the next two years. "I know that is an ambitious goal, but it's not an impossible one."