Father Marinaro Skatepark committee members Chris Jolly, left, and Kelly Ruby stand with Eric Mahler, park director. The group is seeking a $25,000 grant to improve the park.

The Father Marinaro Skatepark Committee is raising money to renovate a skatepark in the hopes that it will build community spirit and keep children away from drugs and out of trouble.

This year the committee is applying for a $25,000 grant through the Tony Hawk Foundation and is meeting with the city council on Tuesday to discuss its plans.

“This year, we really want to get it going,” said Kelly Ruby, one of the committee members. “With the spring coming, we're starting to get some momentum.”

As it stands today, the park is a mismatch of wooden ramps that the committee has been working on repairing and renovating, but skatepark director Eric Mahler has grand plans for the park, once the money can be raised.

“If we get the grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, they only do concrete parks, so most of this will have to go,” he said.

Along with the grant, the rest of the money will be raised through fundraisers and sales of merchandise.

“We're selling T-shirts, we're planning fundraisers, maybe spaghetti dinners,” he said. “This July we're also having an event at the park.”

Sales and organizing are almost entirely done on the group's Facebook page: Fr. Marinaro Skate Park.

When they're not raising money, the group cleans up the park, repairs ramps and paints over graffiti on its building and any in the park that is inappropriate or obscene. .

The group is attending the city council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the group's plans for the park.

Mahler is inviting anyone who is interested to come to the meeting.