We Still Need YOU!

In a nutshell: We still need to raise $200,000 (yes, that’s the right number of zeros).

To skip all the reasons that we need you and go right to how to help, click here.

We got really great news on December 7. We were selected for a $300,000 grant from the Natural Resources Trust Fund. Full story here: http://a2skatepark.org/articles/skate-park-effort-raises-800000-beats-de... That grant, along with the $100,000 that we’ve raised so far allows us to qualify for $400,000 in matching funds from the Washtenaw County Parks Commission. Full story here: http://annarborchronicle.com/2010/03/10/county-offers-400k-match-for-ska... In total, we’re sitting just over $800,000 of our $1,000,000 fundraising goal. THIS IS AWESOME!

However, our goal remains. From the beginning, part of our agreement with the City of Ann Arbor has been that not only will be provide funding for design and construction of the skatepark, but to also create an endowment to help pay for maintenance and future improvements to the skatepark.

10% of each gift/donation to the Ann Arbor Skatepark Fund goes into the Ann Arbor Skatepark Endowment. However, the $700,000 we’ve raised through grants can only be used for design and construction of the skatepark, not for the endowment.

IF WE ARE TO BUILD THE ANN ARBOR SKATEPARK, WE NEED TO RAISE AT LEAST $100,000 FOR THE ENDOWMENT!

After the endowment is funded, that leaves about $100,000 more to reach our total fundraising goal of $1,000,000.

Why do we need $900,000 to build a skatepark, you ask? Well, would you like to have a skatepark like these?
http://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/certified-piece-of-suck/

Or would you rather have something like this?
http://youtu.be/mMTrT2RSgV4

We’ve busted our humps to get this far. We’re not quitting now!

Thousands of people in Washtenaw County have helped us get to this point. We are VERY grateful. But, WE STILL NEED YOU! We need you to keep buying stickers, shirts, decks, and keychains. We need you to buy a brick… or two. We need you to encourage others to give. We need you to help us make sure that the skatepark gets built.

Here are some of the many ways you can help:

Right Now: Go to http://a2skatepark.org/donate
There you can buy a brick, or simply give a donation online. It’s all tax deductible, and it feels real good ;-)

Tomorrow: Go downtown and get a shirt, deck, mug, and/or keychain from Vault of Midnight, Acme Mercantile, or Launch Board shop.

Before January 1: Send a letter to the mayor of Ann Arbor telling him why a skatepark is important to you and yours. Here’s his email address: JHieftje@a2gov.org If you’d like to email the other council members as well, here’s a page with their addresses: http://www.a2gov.org/government/citycouncil/Pages/Home.aspx

During 2012: Attend city council and Park Advisory Commission meetings. Speak up on how important the skatepark is to you. Tell everyone you know that this is important. We need everyone focused on what will prove to be the last leg of this jouney!

With your help, we’ll get this thing built. It’s going to be awesome, and you’ll be able take pride knowing that you helped make our community a better place.

Thank you!


Trevor Staples
President
Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark