PAVE Supports New Skate Park Efforts

(DEANO TULL)

Work will begin soon on an expanded and upgraded skate park for Effingham.

PAVE (Promoting a Vision for Effingham County) plans to work with Deano Tull, local skateboarder and organizer of the Ham City Jam skateboard competition, to support Deano's efforts to rejuvenate the skate park.

Always Hard Concrete of St. Louis is gearing up to renovate the skate park at Hendelmeyer Park starting in April. Always Hard Concrete is a company started by skateboarders for skateboarders. As their website says, "What started s a group of skateboarders in need of a safe space to enjoy their sport, quickly turned into the dream of bringing communities together across the country."

The new skate park will be made of concrete and built to high standards in order to host events and provide an elevated experience for all those who utilize it. The rejuvenation will include many different sized quarter pipe ramps, several rails and ledges for all levels, a China Bank with a ledge, a round bank, a three foot tall taco and more.

The current skate park is made of metal and still functional. There is a plan in place to donate the current skate park to Pana to not let the materials go to waste. they recognize that having a skate park will provide opportunties to their youth and community as a whole.

The new skate park should be ready just in time for this year's Ham City Jam starting Saturday, July 22nd. It will be an eventful weekend in Effingham that weekend with Ham Jam on Friday, July 21st, followed by Ham City Jam, a great weekend to be outside and experience all the new things happening in the community.

Contact Deano Tull or the PAVE team if you'd like to contribute.