Now accepting donations

To the Editor:

We know that you are proactive and supportive citizens of Brazil and the Clay Community and have contributed greatly toward making our city and county a thriving, comfortable and safe community.

The Clay Community Skatepark Committee has been working toward building a skatepark for the youth in Brazil and the Clay Community. With your help, we can provide a safe place for our youth to skate. We are very excited about the progress we have made toward building a skatepark and if all goes well with the funding, we could have the concrete pad built, the fencing installed and the equipment moved to complete the skatepark this summer.

This community needs a skatepark. The most important reasons are the young people who we see daily skating on sidewalks, parking lots and in places where they are not always welcome or safe. The Clay Community Skatepark will give hundreds of skateboarders, both young and middle-aged, in our community a facility at which they will be able to relax, recreate and practice their sport of choice in a safe, secure environment. Many skateboarders can afford a skateboard, but can not afford expensive team sport activities, including the required entry fees, sport gear, clothing and the gas money it takes to go to practice sessions and to the games. They love the challenge that skateboarding offers and are exercising outdoors.

Skateboarding develops physical strength, balance, coordination and self-confidence. Skateboarding is accessible to every economic level.

It is safe and healthy when skaters have a skatepark to use instead of the streets. If a city doesn't have a skatepark, it is a skatepark. Only by building a skatepark will this problem be solved.

Your gift will be used to build the concrete pad for the equipment, the fencing and the signage necessary for the park. You may also participate in our Bricks for Bucks Campaign, where your personally inscribed paver brick will be a part of the honored Wall of Donors.

Our skatepark committee, our community and most importantly, our youth, ask for your support and a generous donation to help complete the skatepark. The Clay Community Parks, Inc., handles all funds received for the Clay Community Skatepark.

They agreed to "umbrella" us under their 501(c)3 in 2007 when the skatepark project began and is receiving all donations.

Donations are tax-deductible and may be sent to the Clay Community Parks Association, Attn: Skatepark, PO Box 308, Brazil, Ind., 47834.

We will be in contact with you to answer any questions you may have and hope that you will join the others in our community that are supporting this project. With your help, this dream will soon become a reality.

Sincerely,

Skatepark Committee: Roberta Weliever, Chris Gregg, Blain Harbison, Brian Atkinson, Jeff Collins, Amee Embry, Tony Travis, Rusty Vansickle and Ron Kiernicki