Hip-hop star raises money for Dayton Skate Park

Jean pitched the idea to longtime skateboarder Aesop Rock.

“Aesop is passionate about skateboarding,” she said. “He said we should consider recycling the tennis courts into skate parks. We are a small label so it’s my job to take his ideas and see how we can make them manageable for us. It will be difficult to start the park.”

She also said that choosing a community and location is important.

“We looked to see if we could find a skatepark that already existed,” Gene added. “We wanted it to be a place where we could really make an impact.

building a team

Gene does an internet search and finds an article in the Dayton Daily News that David Schweitzer is developing such a project at Collaboratory, a non-profit organization in his hometown founded by Peter Benkendorff. .

“We couldn’t have done this without partnering with our accounting agent, Peter of the Dayton Collaborator,” says Schweitzer. “He opened the door to a lot of things that we don’t have access to because we don’t have a non-profit status. We wanted to do this right because we knew it was important to our legitimacy because it opened up donation-in-kind and tax-deductible status to businesses and individuals who wanted to.”

While the Rhymesayers are making big moves on this fundraising project, Jean is quick to credit Benkendorf and Schweitzer, the project manager for Skate Park in Claridge Park.

“Peter has been working tirelessly,” Jean said. “Dave has done a great job over the years as well, so hats off to him. He already does the job and is a small part of everything we have to worry about as a business. He set the table to perfection through quiet, diligent effort, but received no recognition or applause.It’s not a fancy, sexy job, but it’s what makes these parks possible.”

She added that it’s important for nonprofits to get involved.

“It could be a challenge for us as a company, so it couldn’t just be a barbaric rogue’s park,” continued Gene. “We needed a municipal permit to build this building. We had to involve a non-profit organization to make the movement of funds clean, easy, airtight, and understandable to our accountants.”

stage settings

Raised on a 2,600-acre farm in rural Ohio, Schweitzer got his first skateboard on his 11th birthday. He made his first skate his ramp the same year and soon turned to building complex obstacles. Since then, he has worked on numerous builds, including Moraine’s Deer Meadow Skatepark, so he knew the importance of getting everything approved through the right channels.

“As a lifelong skateboarder, I’ve definitely seen rebellious DIY parks pop up,” says Schweitzer. “They get going, but they’re not approved, so they get torn apart. I’ve seen them all over the country. Whenever I’m in a town with a DIY park, I visit because it’s so unique. I know you put time and resources into building something you know you can do.”

He said it took him about three years to go through the red tape and bureaucracy, but he was delighted to finally get the approval.

“I wanted to make sure it was legal, so I went and did the hard work,” Schweitzer said. I and other people volunteered to build it.”

double the fun

Schweitzer has been an advocate for professionally constructed parks in Dayton for nearly 20 years.

“I think a city the size of Dayton should have at least one skatepark,” he said. “We have a very rich history with skateboarding and we never had parks on the city limits. Everyone said the same thing, ‘I can’t believe this didn’t happen.'” There used to be skate parks in the area, but he wanted something that would last for the city, so now he has two DIY parks. “

Funds from the “Pumpkin Seed” promotion will support both DIY skate parks in Dayton.

“Before Claridge, people were building a Rogue Skate Park on Home Avenue just down (US) 35,” said Benkendorf. “They were doing it without a permit, so we decided to go legally. Some of the money raised will be used to end Home Avenue.There is a lot of talk about the DIY movement in skate parks.It takes a lot of work and manpower to build a park, but the community There is a lot of passion for parks in Dayton, and while there are plenty of parks in the suburbs, the city of Dayton had none.

community development, etc.

Professionally constructed and government approved skateparks not only provide a gathering place for those considered punk kids. They create active personal friendships and peer support while stimulating the local economy. be the destination.

“It’s not just local kids coming together and having fun skating, it’s a really cool economic development engine,” said Benkendorf. “It was a learning experience for me to see how much community skateboarding has. Men and women of all ages and many people of color. So, three of the eight members on that team were people of color, so there’s a lot of cool stuff going on, and it’s great to see Dayton embrace that.”

Gene, who visited the Miami Valley for the first time last August, agrees.

“I was told that Lupe and Aesop are both skaters and that they form a different kind of community. That’s the important part,” she said. “If you love skating, that’s what you have in common, getting involved in skating and making friends you never would have had if you weren’t part of that community. It’s very important to embrace places like skateparks and opportunities like that, so keep an eye out for Dayton because there’s so much to offer.”

For more information, please visit www.daytoncollaboratory.org or https://rhymesayers.com. For more information on the single, please visit https://rhymesayers.com/collections/releases/products/aesop-rock-x-blockhead-pumpkin-seeds-feat-lupe-fiasco-7-vinyl.

Contact this contributor at 937-287-6139 or donthrasher100@gmail.com.