Community Activity - Skate Park

Newburgh United Church Helps Build Skate Park

The village of Newburgh finally has a skatepark, thanks to the efforts of the members of Newburgh United Church and the local community.

Skateboarding has been voted the number one recreational activity among teens and is the third largest participation sport for ages eight to eighteen in North America. However, skateboarders often come into conflict with residents when the boarders use public roads, sidewalks and cement staircases to hone their skills.

Such was the situation in our village in the Fall of 2005, when Newburgh United decided to get more involved with the community by spearheading a drive to raise funds for the construction of a small, local skatepark aimed at the younger boarder who was unable to drive to the larger parks in Kingston and Napanee.

Because the church has a charitable organization number, it means that we are eligible to apply for United Way grants. Accordingly, in November 2005, and again in November 2006, we applied for and received two United Way Grants, which allowed us to purchase wood for four ramps. Four Grade 10 students in the Construction Class at Napanee District Secondary School built the ramps for us, thus allowing us to concentrate on further fundraising for the cement pad and the metal rails.

Quinte Conservation Authority allowed us to use Conservation land in the village of Newburgh for the site of the skateboard park. A local contractor donated his time and equipment to excavate the site ($1000); a local gravel pit donated four truckloads of gravel ($1000); the Newburgh-Camden chapter of the Lion’s Club constructed and donated four metal rails for the boarders to slide along ($1600) and the Township of Stone Mills donated a further $3000.00 towards the construction costs.

In total, Newburgh United and members of the village raised approximately $15,000.00
through grants, outright donations, fundraising dinners, carwashes, “tween” dances, yard sales, book sales, and collection jars in our two village stores. In August 2007 Newburgh Skatepark was officially opened with a pancake breakfast, a parade through the village, a skateboard demonstration on the new pad, and a celebration in the park, which included a balloon castle, children’s games and facepainting.

Instead of seeing skateboarders as trouble-makers, it is important to realize that they are our future volunteer firemen, policemen, paramedics, parents and citizens. Newburgh United has taken to heart the axiom that it takes a village to raise a child and is doing its part by continuing to support the skatepark.