One of the best projects to benefit children, teens and young adults in the Columbus area in the last several decades was construction of the Jolie Crider Memorial Skate Park, built in 1999.
Located at Clifty Park on the east side of Columbus, the 15,000-square-foot, mostly wooden ramp system has been a popular place for skateboarders, in-line skaters and BMX bike riders to experiment with tricks, sharpen their skills and have a fun time.
But the need for a new skate park in Columbus is clear. A look at the rotting boards at the skate park is all the documentation that’s needed.
A wooden ramp system has lasted almost 20 years, which is remarkable. But now it’s time to build a concrete park that is easier to maintain, more durable and will last much longer.
Already, plans are in place to construct a 12,000-square-foot concrete skate park. The catch is that a modern-day skate park, such as the concrete one envisioned at Clifty Park, will cost an estimated $385,000.
More than half the needed funds have been raised by the Columbus Park Foundation, which is championing the project. But as of late March, the foundation still needed to raise $150,000.
Some key foundations already have made commitments. For example:
- $10,000 from the Columbus Area Visitors Center
- $25,000 from Custer and Nugent foundations
- $50,000 matching grant from the Heritage Fund – the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County
That means most of the remaining funds will have to be raised through private donors. Any level of help will make a difference, including the purchase of a $10 T-shirt that says “Jolie Crider Memorial Skatepark 2.0″ on the front. The T-shirt sale is a fundraiser for the skate park project.
A new skate park is a worthwhile project that gives children, teens and young adults a place for activity, creativity and fun. It’s worth your support.
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To donate funds toward a new skate park in Columbus, make checks to Columbus Park Foundation with “skate park” in the memo line. They can be be dropped off at the city’s Parks and Recreation Department at Donner Center, 739 22nd St.
Checks can be mailed to the Columbus Park Foundation, P.O. Box 858, Columbus, IN 47202. Online donations can be made on the foundation’s website by visiting columbusparkfoundation.org.
To order special design T-shirts for $10 each, stop in at the parks department or call 812-376-2680. The shirts say “Jolie Crider Memorial Skatepark 2.0.”
For more information, contact Stacy Findley at 812-375-2759 or e-mail [email protected].
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