Five Questions: Jim Reische
Five Questions is where we do a short interview with a community member to get their take on skateboarding and the Ann Arbor Skatepark. The people you’ll read about here will be skaters, parents, business owners, government officials, and anyone else who wants to chime in on why it’s a good idea to have a skatepark in Ann Arbor. Five Questions will appear each week. Do you want to be interviewed for Five Questions, or know of someone who should be? Shoot us an email and we’ll get on it!
This 5-Questions interview is with Jim Reische. He's 42 years old, and is the fundraising chair for the Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee.
Do you skate? No. Not yet. But I've been warned that it's going to happen.
Do you know any skateboarders or inline skaters? More and more every day. And they turn out to be human beings just like everyone else! Creative, thoughtful, hardworking people who are dedicated to making our community a great place to live. Some of my best friends are skaters, and it's really inspiring to see what we're achieving together.
Why do you think a skatepark is good for our community? One of the things that makes Ann Arbor special--and that allows us to hold our own in the midst of huge economic challenges--is our sense of community. This city has such a rich civic life: great arts, culture, athletic activities, and a lively intellectual atmosphere. People come from all over the world just to be a part of it all. The campaign to build the Skatepark adds to this richness: citizens (especially young people) working with city officials, volunteers and local philanthropists to create something that everyone can enjoy. Think about it: even if you're not a skater, to be picnicking on the grass at Veterans Memorial Park on a warm summer day, watching people perform these incredible feats of agility, the incredible public art we're planning to build into the park's design... For me, even as someone who doesn't skate yet, such experiences are the essence of what makes Ann Arbor special. And to be able to actually skate a world-class park right here in town? It would be just a tremendous opportunity for our young people (and a few of us old folks, too).
What is the one thing you hope to see at the ann arbor skatepark? Everything. A good park shouldn't compromise, so I refuse to choose! The Skatepark should be a convergence of many things: a world-class design with both street and transitional elements, to challenge skaters of all kinds and skill levels; beautiful public art; educational features that promote safety and inform people about the park's environmentally-sustainable design; facilities that support a great experience not just for the skaters themselves, but for all park users, neighbors and the community as a whole.
What would be some ideas for increasing community and financial support for the skatepark? This is our biggest challenge, but the great thing about the Skatepark is that it's an achievable goal. It's something we can do for our city even in tough economic times. It would be wonderful if a local philanthropist wanted to make a major gift, but our campaign isn't about a single check. It's about everyone working together: kids coming to our summer skate jams; community members sporting our t-shirts and bumper stickers; donors making contributions of $10 or $50 or $100; and incredibly supportive local merchants like Launch boardshop, Vault of Midnight, Acme Mercantile, Sun & Snow, VG Kids and others... It's about lots of people giving however they can. It adds up to something incredible that all of us can enjoy.