Built To Play Skatepark Program Expands Grant Opportunities
Built To Play Skatepark Grants are helping communities in Southeast Michigan and Western New York (like Amherst), expand, replace, or build new skateparks for their youth
Vista, CA (September 5, 2018)—The successful launch this Spring of the Built To Play Skatepark Program resulted in $1.5-million in construction funding for six skateparks in Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The opportunity has now been expanded for more communities to apply for matching funds up to $250,000 to build free, public skateparks that serve low-income areas. Eligible projects include new skateparks, replacement of temporary ramp skateparks, or completing skateparks that were originally built in phases.
The Built To Play Skatepark Program is a partnership between the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, which serves communities in sixteen counties in Southeast Michigan and Western New York, and the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has helped create 552 skateparks across the U.S. The program offers matching grants to build skateparks in the RCWJRF service area.
“It can’t be overstated how important the Built to Play initiative is to communities in Southeast Michigan and Western New York,” said Trevor Staples, the Built To Play Skatepark Manager. “The generosity and support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, coupled with the skatepark knowledge and expertise of the Tony Hawk Foundation is the perfect partnership to help get young people moving in the region. Most municipalities have dreamed about building a public skatepark to meet the needs of their young people. The BTP Grants are helping make those dreams a reality.”
The first recipients of the Built To Play Skatepark Grants were notified in August and include projects in Detroit, Port Huron, Ypsilanti, and Ferndale, Michigan, as well as Amherst and Rochester, New York. “The grant really hypes me up,” said Mauricio Mejia, 16, of Ypsilanti, Michigan. “It’s a sign that you can really make change in not only your life, but the lives of people around you and in your community.”
The Built To Play Skatepark Grant application is now live and available at www.skatepark.org/built-to-play/, where eligibility criteria and maps of the program’s service area can also be found. Applications are due October 10, 2018.
For more information about the Built To Play Skatepark Program, contact Built To Play Skatepark Manager Trevor Staples at play@skatepark.org. For more information about public skateparks, visit the Tony Hawk Foundation’s Public Skatepark Development Guide at www.skatepark.org.
Skateparks Are Just the Beginning — Help Us Build What Comes Next!