The Flint Skatepark

I was born and raised just outside of Flint, MI. until I was 19 years old when I moved to Colorado to go to college.  I lived out of state for over 7 years and then I decided that it was time to move back to Flint to be closer to my family.  When I got back to Flint, in March of this year, I was so excited for warmer weather and to go back to the skatepark that I grew up skating at.  I showed up to the skatepark on the first warm day of this spring to find Flint Skatepark in the worst condition I'd ever seen a skatepark in.  There had to be a total of over 30 holes in the ramps, and some of the holes were as big as a basketball.  The cracks in the cement had grown weeds knee high, and trash was scattered all over the place. With my positive attitude I tried my hardest to make the most of it, but it just wasn't the same as it used to be.  Ironically enough, my good friend Dan Wilson had just moved back from living up north for about the same amount of time that I was out west.  Dan wasn't going to stand for this skatepark to be like this so he started a GoFundMe and raised over $1200 in a matter of no time.  We got right to work and started resurfacing the ramps, fixing the holes, pulling the weeds in the cracks and sealing them shut.  The community soon caught on to what we were doing up there and we had people from all walks of life coming up to give us a hand.  This is when the fire in my gut started to really burn.  I saw how much this skatepark meant to so many people and it soon became my life outside of work.  After we got the park in good shape again I began to see all of these kids that I'd never seen before coming up to the park.  I even witnessed a children's birthday party happening at the skatepark after we fixed it and it gave me goosebumps knowing that I helped make this place safe again.  What really hit me was the fact that we had created a space for children, teenagers, and adults to come enjoy and do something productive outside with the community.
This project isn't about me, its for the kids, and its about bringing a community together.  I would love to accept funds as soon as possible so I can get right to work before winter time comes.  Ideally I would like to quit working so much and be able to afford to be at the skatepark building new things, and creating an even more enjoyable space for people to grow and learn.  The money donated will not only buy materials to build things at the skatepark but it will help me buy our community water, healthy food, and help make Flint Skatepark a more positive place to be.  Thank-you for taking your time to read this, and I hope you can find it in your heart to give back to the community because that is one of the most beautiful feelings I've ever felt.