Since it is the time of year to be grateful and thankful for all we have, we want to share with you how thankful we are for your continued support of Eastern Madera Recreation and Parks! We wanted to share some updates about what we have been up too.
Our Scarecrow Contest was a smaller turnout than we would have liked, but due extenuating circumstances we knew it wasn’t going to be quite what we had hoped for. However, we got a positive turnout and it allowed us to really connect with some awesome members of the community and avid little skaters! We have already started planning for bigger and better next year.
Through the fall we have been looking at all the recreational locations that already exist within the community to see where we can offer support. Following the adage of give support, get support. While building the skatepark is our top priority, we feel part of our job is to unite the wonderful things we do have and that means getting involved. With that in mind we started the EMRAP Volunteer Coalition, on Facebook it is an additional community under our public Eastern Madera Recreation and Parks page. All are welcome to join and interact there, it is a way for us to extend volunteer opportunities to the community members any time as well as discuss other things you feel we should be pitching in to help maintain.
Our thought was that wherever we chose to put the skatepark must be accessible and why not make it convenient to the River Parkway Trails. So, we reached out to the founder and they have agreed to allow us to find a part of the trail that we can focus on maintaining and enhancing. We have found the perfect part and by perfect, I mean the part that needs the most love. The section of the trail that is right by the High School is overgrown and needs some TLC. Since it seems like many other sections of the trail are maintained by service groups in town, we have decided that this will be where we can start to help our community while we work on the skatepark. Our hope is that once students start to return to campus the trail will be pruned back, and everyone can walk safely off the road.
Now, the information you all are so eager to hear about, the skatepark. We have had discussions with the community park, and they are very open and encouraging of the idea to have the skatepark in the park. However, there are many steps that must be taken and logistics to be coordinated in order for this be official. So please be patient with us as we work through the details. In addition to locking in the location, we still need to raise a lot of money to make this happen. We will be continuing to work towards meeting the criteria for a small grant from the Skatepark Foundation (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), as well as beginning the application processes for federal, state and local grants, in addition to planning out the fundraising events for next year! Don’t forget you can make donations anytime through our website: www.easternmaderarec.org .
Over the winter months keep an eye out for our posts about skatepark merchandise. It will be another way you can help us raise money to get the skatepark built! If you are interested in getting involved with our group, we are looking for people to join the Fundraising and Marketing Committee and people to help manage the Volunteer Coalition. As well as people who are interested in either of our other potential coalitions, the Junior Skatepark Coalition and the Educational Bridge Coalition.
Until next time, be excellent to each other!
Jennifer Mullikin
President of Eastern Madera Recreation and Parks
