With the success of our recent Emry Park Skatepark Fundraiser, we are now kicking off an intensive effort to see this project become reality.

Our dollar raffle was a huge success. 

Between the raffles and donations we raised $5,000 altogether. That puts us at a total of around $17,000 as of March 20. 

In addition to our GoFundMe page we are planning a sponsor wall that will be displayed in the skatepark once it’s completed.  

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We’re working with Lynch’s Signs and Graphics and Servpro of Roanoke Rapids to build a lasting sign to help promote those businesses that have helped us.  

Any donations are helpful — be it $20 or $1,000 everything is appreciated. 

I'd like to thank everyone that came out and supported our first fundraising effort.

When we started planning this event, we were sure it was going to be a one-off event to just get the community talking about our project, but everything went so well and everyone had such a good time we're ready to do this again. 

I cannot explain how full my heart was to see many people from all over come out and enjoy our skatepark saturday.  

I don't think the skatepark has had so many people using it at one time since the day it opened.  

We learned a lot at our first event. I wouldn't say we did anything wrong, but we saw a lot of stuff that we could do better. 

It's beautiful to see the community rally behind us. I don't think many people were really open to the skateboarding idea, but everyone agrees, something is better than what we currently have at Emry Park.

And I would like to thank every local business that has donated or helped us out anyway.

You guys are the reason this has turned into the success it has. 

And I've talked with the folks at parks and rec and we're gonna start gearing up for another on September 7 this year.   

We hope to see everyone who came out to come back out then, and hope to see a few new vendors at the next event.

This project began in August when I approached Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon about maybe letting some of my friends and myself fix up the Emry Park tennis courts to set up a Do It Yourself Skatepark.  

The courts have been there long beyond their lifespan and have become an eyesore in what used to be one of the most beautiful parks in town. 

The courts were beyond fixing to skate and John Simeon told me that if we could raise the funds and get city approval, we could demolish two of the existing six tennis courts and lay new concrete and set up a beginner/entry level skatepark.  

After getting approval from city council, the city received a quote of $70,000 to demolish the old courts, put a base layer of rock in, do a 4-inch pour over of concrete, put a few small obstacles for skating in, and get Dominion Power to come in and hook up LED street lights to light the park at  night.  

The hope is that with lighting and some activity going on, it’ll push some criminal activity out of the dark corner of town the park has become.

There is nothing wrong with the skatepark we have at T.J. Davis Recreation Center. It is great. It is a top of the line, bmx/skatepark, but it’s a very advanced park.  

Hosting 4-feet and 6-feet quarter pipes, and lots of steep transitions, it’s not a very friendly place to get your feet wet starting out on anything.  

Too many times I have seen first hand kids go out to the park with their new skateboard or roller skates and within 10 minutes usually they’ve taken a fall so hard they become discouraged and ready to go home.  

I go out to the skatepark with my little girl and my girlfriend’s boys who are all under the age of 10, and the only reason they have stuck with it is because of me pushing them to go back.  

It’s too easy these days with online gaming for children to stay at home and inside “playing with their friends.”  

I feel there needs to be public/free safe havens for kids to be able to go and express themselves and get some physical exercise.  

And the west side of Roanoke Rapids needs something for kids to do.

Justin Kerr