Skatepark association shreds into 2026 with new event plans
With a successful first six months behind it, the Butler Area Skatepark Association is gearing up for another year of fundraising toward the skate park in Butler’s Father Marinaro Park.
Ken Clowes, association president, said the group’s first event in November 2025 — a skateboard art show and accompanying raffle — raised more than $9,000 toward improvements to the park.
“We’re still over the moon about how our first event went, we had no idea how much it would raise, but we knew it was a good idea,” he said Sunday, Jan. 11.
The skate park association became a certified nonprofit in July 2025 with the goal of updating the skate park in Father Marinaro Park. The park was considered fairly modern when built, but has seen natural deterioration through the decades.
Clowes said in the first six months, support from both the community at large and city officials has been very high.
“Some of us inquired before we were a nonprofit, and it seemed like (city council) was on board. When we came back, they still seemed like they were interested,” he said.
Councilman Dan Herr, the city’s director of parks and recreation and public property, is a regular attendee of the association’s meetings, while Councilman Troy Douthett is a skater and founding member of the association.
Clowes said the city and association will communicate and work together to raise the funds through grants and other means. For now, he said the most important thing for 2026 is to keep up the momentum.
“We’ll keep going until the park has the funding it needs. That could happen this year or the next, but even if it takes 10, we’ll be here,” he said.
He added that the association’s event planning committee would be meeting soon to discuss more concrete plans for the year. Right now, he said the association is looking at hosting two major events supplemented by smaller events and raffles.
“In the summer, we’re thinking about doing something there at the park to really showcase the space,” Clowes said.
While he is committed to raising the funds no matter how long it takes, he already has begun to think of what the organization will do after the skate park is upgraded.
“We envision the park as multifunctional. We’d like to offer skate clinics and help provide skateboards for kids interested. Skateboarding is a globally renowned sport that is on the rise,” he said.
Clowes said anyone interested in helping fund upgrades to the skate park can donate anytime at the association’s website, butlerskate.org.
