June 21 is known internationally as Go Skateboarding Day and can now be recognized as the day Nelson and District Credit Union stepped up to help Kootenay Lake Outdoor Skate Park Society members realize their dream of an outdoor skate park for Nelson.
Tom Atkins of credit union met with Rob Levesque and several local skaters at the foot of Baker Street just before last Thursday’s Go Skateboarding Day ride through Nelson’s downtown to celebrate the announcement of the donation of $10,000.
The relationship goes back 10 years when Nelson skatepark pioneers approached the credit union requesting some help.
“It all started with some in-kind donations of binders, pens and some photocopying,” said Atkins.
“There was an informal group of skaters, parents and community members that got the ball rolling with a meeting at the old Lord Nelson banquet hall. NDCU recognized the tireless commitment of this group early on, and we are happy to be here today with this announcement of $10,000 for the Nelson outdoor skate park.”
The credit union’s commitment to youth goes far beyond financial literacy and scholarships. An investment by credit union members in an asset such as this park will add significantly to the vitality of this community. Youth arts, culture, social responsibility and recreation initiatives are also widely supported through their community investment program.
“The future looks bright,” said Levesque, skatepark society president.
“This has been one heck of a year, we got our location, we’ve acquired a design and the community support has been phenomenal. This kind of donation means everything. To have an organization like Nelson and District Credit Union make such substantial donations shows the youth that this community cares.”
Nelson and District Credit Union was established in 1950 and has grown to over $167 million in assets and serves over 12,500 members throughout the Kootenay area. NDCU is a community based financial co-operative that offers a full range of banking and financial, wealth management and insurance services. Please visit nelsoncu.com.
Established in 2002 with the mission to develop a skate park for youth, the Kootenay Lake Outdoor Skate Park Society has one true objective: build a world class outdoor public skate park for the Nelson area.
For more information visit nelsonskatepark.com.