The wheels keep rolling, sliding and grinding smoothly for the Concord Skate Park Association and its fundraising efforts.
On Saturday, the group will host its largest event of the year: the Concord Skate Jam, which is returning for its sixth consecutive year.
Things have gone well for the budding grassroots group that started with a dream after the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the nonprofit presented a $10,000 check to the city council as it gradually ramps up programming this summer.
Chris Harrington, the association’s president, has skated at the park his whole life and is leading the charge alongside his fellow skaters to reinvigorate the sport in Concord with a new park.
“I think it’s a great time for the Concord community to really experience what the skateboarding culture is about in New Hampshire,” Harrington said. “It’s just a really fun time, and families enjoy it every year.”
You don’t even need a board to participate in the festivities, he said — just watching the all-ages skate contest will be a spectacle. The tricks and maneuvers will be judged, but the contest presents low-stakes for anyone brave enough to step up in front of an audience.
In total, the group has raised around $25,000 towards its $500,000 goal. That sum is needed to match a federal Land and Water Conservation grant, which could provide funding for the first phase of the skatepark project in partnership with Concord Parks and Recreation.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5 p.m. to 5 p.m., the association is taking part in the NH Gives. A private donor will match up to $2,500 of donations for the CSP through NH Gives during the 24-hour drive.
Harrington said the group has more fundraising events scheduled for later in the summer, as well. On Friday, July 24, the association will host a 21+ event at Penuche’s called “Jamming for Concord Skate Park” with local bands.
Concord’s own indie rock outfit Rosewood Park and hardcore band FFO: Chillin will open up for Manchester’s Hell Beach.
Harrington knows the movement for a new skate park doesn’t just count on those old enough to go to a bar. The organization is planning another music event open to all ages later in the summer. In August, they’ll also host a fingerboard event for hobbyists of all ages.
All these fundraising endeavors come back to the big mountain the association has yet to climb: Even now, four years after officially establishing the nonprofit and pouring time into fundraising, the $500,000 goal is far.
“We should be treated fairly like all the other projects, and it would be great if [the city council] could consider the recreation reserve to help us secure the federal grant that we are working to secure,” Harrington added.
The Skate Jam will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13 at the Concord skatepark at the Kiwanis Riverfront Park.