Lakeview Rolls to World-Class Park for All

Oregon Community Foundation: oregoncf.org

 

One day a modest idea rolled into Lakeview, Oregon: What if we built a skatepark?

Two years later, the southern Oregon town — population 2,400 — is about to break ground on a much grander vision to give every kid a place to play. OCF supported the early stages of the project and more recently made a big investment in construction.

 

It all started when Rotarian Chuck Kelley noticed many kids were missing out on traditional sports like football and basketball because they couldn’t afford the gear, didn’t speak English or didn’t feel like they belonged.

 

“Those sports don’t catch everybody,” says Michael McGowen, a Rotarian. “The fear is that the way kids go instead is to the easily available and inexpensive drugs.”

 

A park geared for the relatively low-barrier activity of skateboarding seemed like a solution. Rotarians donated $1,500 to get the project started, and a survey showed the town supported the idea.

 

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