Despite blazing hot temperatures and a brief power outage, BMX riders, skateboarders and supporters came together on Sunday afternoon all with the same goal in mind: Expand Marshalltown's Skatepark.
Nearly 100 people came out to the second annual Skatepark Fest which served as a fundraiser for a new complex the committee, along with Marshalltown Parks and Recreation, is hoping to raise money for. The committee was looking to raise $2,500 at the event and Skatepark Committee Chair Angie Lins-Eich said that she believed the fest would rake in that amount and maybe a little more.
"We are on track to meet our goal," she said. "It will exceed our total last year which was $2,000."
Article Photos
T-R PHOTO BY LUKE STALZER
This skateboarder attempts to land a trick on one of the two ramps offered at the skatepark as of right now. Plans are underway to add several ramps and rails to the facilities which will expand eastward toward South Sixth Street.
All of the money raised will go toward the new facility which is set to be complete by the end of the summer and will expand east from the location now towards South Sixth Street.
Although the fest got off to a late start - due to a power outage early on - things got back on track and Lins-Eich said that it was an excellent afternoon.
"It's way hot out here, but it's going great," she said.
Local bands Flatline and Impact of Reason provided entertainment for the afternoon and vendors were on site serving everything from Mexican food to snow cones. The fest also featured BMX and skateboarding competitions.
Marshalltown 13-year-olds Austin and Nick Meling along with 14-year-old Preston O'Clair said that they visit the skatepark now, but if they raised the money to expand it, they'd be there all the time.
"They need to make it bigger," said Austin and Nick.
"If this place was bigger, we'd be here all the time," said Preston.
And Lins-Eich said that the kids are the important part.
"The youth in this community need an environment where they can thrive," she said. "That is the kind of place we are trying to establish."
Lins-Eich also said that if anyone is still interested in donating money, there is still time.
"You can send a check to Marshalltown Park & Rec. and put 'skatepark' in the memo," she said. "We just love all of the support."