New Lethbridge Skate Park

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The Lethbridge Skateboard Association is a non-profit group run by volunteers committed to making a difference in the world around us. We believe that skateboarding is a rapidly growing non-team sport that requires the support of the community. Our mission is to provide public and private facilities for Lethbridge skateboarders to pursue their sport; to increase public awareness of skateboarding; and to provide a unified voice for the sport in our city. Due to our efforts, the City of Lethbridge recently completed a Skate Park Master Plan which confirmed and quantified the need for additional facilities within the City. Due to the budgetary process the City maintains, the earliest they would normally be able to contemplate fulfilling this need is 2013, with construction in 2014 and beyond. In an effort to rectify the situation in the near term by building one of the three needed parks, they used an alternative funding model, which relies on 2/3 of the funding originating from other sources. The cost for this park is estimated at $600,000, with $200,000 coming from the City. We have applied for provincial grants and are actively fundraising within the community. Skateboard parks are so much more than just a piece of concrete. Modern skateboard plazas are built into the center of communities. This allows interaction of the community and the skateboarders. It's very location is a natural deterrent for the graffiti and vandalism that plague our existing park. It creates a friendly family environment. It's a place where skateboarders and visitors feel safe. It encourages the cross generational interaction that society as a whole needs. The new skatepark will be a place to play for the young and the young at heart alike. The inclusive nature of the skateboard culture will encourage personal growth, the setting of goals and the overcoming of obstacles. It will permit free play, creativity, social interaction and physical fitness. I'm sure you can appreciate the size of this task is quite large. Bottle drives and hot dog sales are the norm for a group like ours where the majority of members are between the ages of 8 to 16.