Blog by Simone Toney
On Sunday, June 21, not only was the weather a perfect 75 degrees, the opening of the P-Rod Skate Park in Pacoima, CA proved to be yet another perfect aspect of the day. Nike SB and LA84 Foundation have been planning the grand opening of the P-Rod Skate Park for months and their efforts did not go unnoticed. About 1,000 people participated in the opening of P-Rod Skate Park ranging in age from infants to adults and despite the age differences, each individual enjoyed this event all the same.
The opening of the P-Rod Skate Park was emceed by Paul Rodriguez, Sr. an actor and comedian. He illustrated the importance of the skate park to the community and the fact that it is the duty of the community to maintain and respect the park. He introduced all of the people that played a part in the creation of the skate park and allowed them to give short speeches about what this skate park will do for the community. Then finally, the moment that the audience was waiting for… Rodriguez introduced the Nike SB Team. There were a total of seven members presented at the event including the infamous Paul Rodriguez II. The Nike SB Team was the first to try out the new skate park and they instantly fell in love with the way the park was set up. They took turns busting tricks for an enthusiastic and eager audience that had been waiting all day to see their demo. Shortly after the demo the Nike SB Team gave autographs to all the kids that attended the event. The opening ceremony established the positive attributes that the skate park would bring to the community of Pacoima.
Nike did a great job of organizing the event in a way that appealed to all ages. They provided free hot dogs and lemonade for the parents and their kids along with free Nike SB t-shirts designed to fit all sizes. The majority of the kids put their shirts on right when they received them and were extremely excited when the Nike SB skate team autographed the shirts. Youth Noise team members were also at the event in an effort to promote the organization and to encourage the kids to get involved. We provided the kids with an opportunity to win a free flip cam and to vocalize their opinions about the event and their new skate park.
Nike SB and LA84 Foundation successfully accomplished the task at hand. The kids at the event could not have been happier. They arrived as early as 8 am and stayed long after the grand opening was finished. They loved the difficultly presented by the skate park and the numerous tricks they could attempt at the park. The kids also appreciated the fact that they would not have to deal with the police or other adults kicking them out off their prior skating surfaces. They can now skate freely and express their art form any way they choose at the P-Rod Skate Park. The parents are also excited that their kids have a place to skate without the risk of getting into trouble with the police or other authorities. The P-Rod Skate Park will forever alter the landscape of the community and provide kids with a much needed outlet to perform their art form.
