City Clerk/Administrator Jo Leyland, left, was joined by the members of the Team Hot Wheels group for a Skype call with Alec Beck, (insert) programs manager for the Tony Hawk Foundation. During the call, he told the kids they received a $10,000 grant from the foundation for the new skate park. Team members include, from left, Gavin Wisnieski, Kaden Vogt, Trevin Moreno, Brextin Moreno, Isaac Stretesky and Carson Terryberry. (Courtesy photo)
Skatepark gets $10,000 grant from Tony Hawk
Fundraising for the new Imperial skatepark got a big boost this month with a $10,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation.
Foundation Program Manager Alec Beck delivered the news to Team Hot Wheels during a recent Skype call.
The grant helped move the skatepark fundraising to within $20,000 of its goal.
Originally, the design for the park started at $150,000. Since then, the team added some extra features to the park, taking the total to just under $199,000.
Construction of the park, which will be built on the site of the old swimming pool in Campbell Park, is set to begin in mid-April.
City Clerk/Administrator Jo Leyland said the park will be constructed by Artisan Skate Parks, based in North Carolina.
The design was completed by Pillar Design of Chandler, Ariz.
Leyland said the city and other volunteers have contributed in-kind services for the construction project to lower some costs.
Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk started his foundation in 2002 in an effort to give kids a safe place to skateboard.
Since that time, the foundation has made grants to more than 500 recipients to build skateparks.
Hawk is considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern skateboarding.
Leyland said Team Hot Wheels learned about the foundation’s grant program and made contact with Beck.
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