FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Hendersonville Kids Alliance to Skate is a group organized and led by five local home school students who wish to be involved and make a difference in their Hendersonville community.

The mission statement of Hendersonville Kids Alliance to Skate is: To gain community support for the development of a public skate park in the Hendersonville/Henderson County area, as well as create awareness of the social, economic, health, and safety benefits a community skate park will provide.

The group is scheduled to present their request at the May 4 Hendersonville City Council Meeting and are expecting several community leaders to join them in their presentation.

The Hendersonville Kids Alliance to Skate designed a web site, www.skatehendersonville.com, to provide information and collect signatures of support. They have put together and distributed flyers, designed a logo and T-shirts.

The group has been busy getting signatures and meeting with community groups. In April The Hendersonville Kids Alliance to Skate manned an information booth and solicited signatures of support from parents and students at a recent regional Sk8 Fest held at Biltmore Baptist Church.  

On Wednesday the students canvassed downtown merchants for signatures and received an overwhelming majority of support for their effort.  

A Times-News article on March 14 identified youth as becoming a possible downtown nuisance.  The Hendersonville Kids Alliance to Skate does not condone misbehavior and would not tolerate it at any facility they are supporting. However, additional youth facilities in our area can accommodate the younger population and offer alternative venues for after school hours.

According to recent statistics, in 2002, there were about 16 million skateboarders and an estimated 400 public skate parks. That number is up from 11.5 million skaters in 2000.  Incidentally there were only 9 million little league baseball players in the U.S. yet most cities with multiple baseball fields had yet to build skate parks.

 For More Information Contact:

Hendersonville Kids Alliance To Skateboard
Priscilla Cawthorn, Parent Advisor

Hendersonville, N.C.
Tel: 828-551-1026
Internet: info@skatehendersonville.com