LANSING - Skateboarders, in-line skaters, heavy metal bands and community members gathered Saturday and Sunday to help raise money for a Lansing area skate park.
The event, Skatefest 2000, was held in a city parking lot on the corners of Kalamazoo and Cedar streets in Lansing.
All the money was raised through the sale of food, T-shirts and other merchandise at the event. The money went toward the Lansing Area Skate Bike and Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit organization raising money to build a public skate park.
The city of Lansing donated $200,000 to the foundation, and Modern Skate and Surf donated $5,000 in matching funds.
The foundation’s goal is to raise $200,000 in matching funds by the end of the year, said George Leichtweis, owner of Modern Skate and Surf, 1393 E. Grand River Ave. So far the foundation has raised about $25,000.
The foundation will try to finance two skate parks, one in Ranney Park on Michigan Avenue and the other in Benjamin Davis Park on the south side of Lansing.
The skate parks will be designed by Tim Payne and Andy McDonald, a professional skateboarder.
“We have the opportunity to build the best skate park in the world for the same amount of money as a mediocre park,” said Pete Bosheff, president of the foundation.
Hundreds of children and adults came out to skate and listen to the bands, which played for free.
“We are playing to help them out, this is a good cause,” said Kerry Cripe, lead singer of Somber, one of the bands that played at Skatefest. “The skate park can be a place for kids to skate other than the driveway.”
Skatefest 2000 held in-line skate and skateboarding contests for kids of all ages.
“During the contest it was really great, the skaters were cheering for each other, even though it was a competition,” Coreen Hooker, co-coordinator of Skatefest 2000 said.
Hooker, whose 6-year-old son skates, said kids need somewhere safe to skate.
“If these kids don’t have anywhere to go, then there is potential for them to get into trouble,” Hooker said. “They are out on the street and it is dangerous.”
Mat Zeigler, an Eastern High School in Lansing, student who won first place in the 14 to 19 age bracket skateboarding contest, said building a skate park is necessary.
“There are spots downtown to skate now, but most of the time the police come and kick us out,” Zeigler said. “Parents would like to see their kids at something made for skating instead of going out onto the streets.”
Dennis Moore, a Haslett resident, came to Skatefest 2000 to watch his son skate.
“It is a good idea to open a skate park,” Moore said. “Right now my son skates in the street by my house, but we have gone as far as Saginaw to the skate park up there.”
