We're selling bricks to raise funds to help with the construction of the skatepark. In exchange for a financial contribution, a brick paver will be engraved with the donor’s name and a brief message, and incorporated into the construction of the amenity.

On Friday, September 2, 2011, project liaison for The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark, Scott Rosencrans, appeared on the Lucy Ann Lance Business Insider Radio Program. She asked all of the important questions that many of you have been pondering and Scott shared our answers. Click here to hear the interview (Scroll down). Thanks to Lucy Ann Lance, and thank you for your support!

For Immediate Release: August 26: The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark is proud to announce a donation of $25,000 from Dug and Linh Song of Ann Arbor for the construction of a permanent skate park amenity at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Local entrepreneur Dug Song was one of the founding members of the organized effort behind the project. Though continually a project supporter, Mr. Song had to leave his official participation in 2009 to attend to his many business needs.

Another successful Ann Arbor Art Fair has come and gone - thanks to all of you who visited our booth! We always enjoy talking about the skatepark effort and Art Fair was a great venue meet and talk to so many supporters. In addition to sell our official a2skatepark merchandise we held raffles for two hand-painted decks and an electric guitar made from an old deck. Congratulations to our winners Rebecca Clark, David Rolek, and Hank Stoops! Thank you all for your support!

The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark will be providing a project update to the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Commission on Tuesday, July 19, at 4PM. The meeting will be held at Larcom City Hall, 2nd Floor City Council Chambers, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 41804.

On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark hosted a picnic at Wheeler Park in Ann Arbor in celebration of Go Skateboarding Day. Thanks to all of you who came out to skate and support the a2skatepark effort. We'd also like to thank the following groups their generous contributions:

Thank you for supporting the Ann Arbor Skatepark!

The 
Ann 
Arbor 
Commission
on 
on Disabilities
 Issues 
unanimously 
approved
 a 
resolution 
today 
in
 support 
of
 the 
construction 
of 
a skate
park
 amenity
 at 
Veteran’s
 Memorial
 Park.
 
The
 resolution 
resolves:
 “That 
the
 Ann
 Arbor 
Commission
on 
Disability 
Issues supports 
the
 construction 
of 
the
 proposed 
skate
park
 amenity 
as 
a 
safe
 and
 reasonably 
barrier‐free 
recreational
 amenity 
that would 
be 
accessible 
for 
all.”


The 
Board
 created
 a
 special 
Skate 
Park 
Committee 
as 
an 
outgrowth
 from
 a
 presentation 
given 
to 
the 
full 
Board
 in
 March
 of 
this year. 

In 
addition
 to
 two
 presentations 
before 
the 
full 
Commission, 
the 
special 
committee 
met
 three 
times
 with 
representatives
 of the 
Friends
 of 
the 
Ann 
Arbor 
Skatepark
 who
 provided
 informational 
materials 
and 
received
 feedback
 and
 experiential 
impressions from
 Commissioners.
 
The 
process
 included
 a
 field
 trip 
to 

Riley 
Skate
park 
in
 Farmington
 Hills,
 which 
allowed 
Commissioners
 to view
 the
 sport 
first
hand 
and
 speak 
with 
skateboarders 
who
 were 
using 
the 
facility 
that 
day.

The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark will host a picnic at Wheeler Park in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, June 21, 4:00pm – 8:00pm in celebration of Go Skateboarding Day. Go Skateboarding Day is a grassroots holiday started in 2003 that celebrates the sport and community of skateboarding.

While Ann Arbor is not yet home to a skatepark, the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark will be serving up hot dogs and snacks to hungry skaters on their way to or from area skateparks, along with raffles and prizes and a2skatepark merchandise for sale. A game of S-K-A-T-E is slated to start at 5:00pm with a Best Trick contest to follow. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED TO SKATE. CHILDREN 12 AND UNDER MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT.

The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark was recently awarded $1,500 from the Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sweet 15 contest. Bank of Ann Arbor will be in attendance to present the award to the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark board of directors.

The Ann Arbor Skatepark effort is alive and kick-flipping, here's a round up of some recent activity:

• Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark to Brief Council on Safety. The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark will be providing a special presentation on safety and accessibility at the June 20 City Council Meeting. Safety has been expressed as a primary concern by members of the community during outreach efforts for the project and the group has been working with groups including the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues to inform the upcoming design process. The meeting will be held Monday, June 20, at 7PM, is open to the public, and can be viewed live on public access cable channel 16.
• a2skatepark Street Team Bake Sale a Success!. The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark is proud to announce that the Street Team youth volunteer corps of the group raised over $900 for the project at a bake sale held at Ann Arbor Brewing Co. on March 26, 2011. That's a lot of cupcakes! Proceeds from the event will go to the construction of a permanent skate park amenity proposed for Veteran's Memorial Park.
• Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark Awarded $5000 Grant From the Tony Hawk Foundation. Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark has received a $5,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation. The Tony Hawk Foundation seeks to improve society, empower youth, and support non-profits and municipalities with the creation of public skateparks throughout the United States. Since 2002 the Tony Hawk Foundation has awarded 467 grants. In the Spring 2011 grant period, Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark was one of only fifteen groups to receive an award.
• Skatepark Effort Wins $1500 in "Sweet 15" Competition. The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark received a $1500 award from the Bank of Ann Arbor's "Sweet 15" competition on May 13. Thanks to all who participated by voting for the project! The funds will go toward the construction of a permanent skate park amenity proposed for Veteran's Memorial Park.
• a2skatepark and City Collaborate on Government Grants. The City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation has agreed to collaborate on government grants with the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark to help fund a permanent Skate Park amenity at Veteran's Memorial Park. To date, the partnership has applied for $300,000 in grant funding through government sources. According to Project Liaison Scott Rosencrans: "While we are still in need of substantial individual private donations, this provides an important additional avenue for fundraising for the project."