In Pontiac, longboarders and shortboarders need a new place to ride. Providing a modern skatepark is the impetus behind a new project in the city, one the Dobrusin Law Firm actively and proudly supports.

The Pontiac Skatepark Project seeks to build a safe, accessible, and sustainable 10,000 square-foot facility for youth and adults. Tentatively slated for construction across from Pontiac’s high school and middle school, the new facility will replace the current park consisting of broken-up tennis courts with deteriorating rails.

Pontiac resident Marijayne Renny is the Dobrusin Law Firm’s community outreach coordinator, an avid roller skater (even previously part of Detroit Roller Derby), mother of a roller-skating daughter, and wife of a skateboarding husband. She spends her free time teaching kids how to comfortably roller skate and helped identify the need for a better quality skatepark in Pontiac. She has been particularly active with this initiative, helping prepare grant applications and leading corporate and grassroots donation efforts.

So far, the Skatepark Project (previously known as the Tony Hawk Foundation) and the Ralph Wilson Foundation have extended up to $250,000 in grant money, and another $50,000 grant will pay for “green space” elements, including edible landscaping features. To receive the full $250,000 grant, the Pontiac Skatepark Project needs to raise matching funds of at least $50,000, but ideally $250,000, by November 1, 2021, then complete construction of the park by November 2022. To help with fundraising efforts and financial management, the Pontiac Skatepark Project has partnered with Oakland County Sheriff Police Athletic League which is a 501c3.

Most recently, the Pontiac Skatepark Project hosted SK8 Art in downtown Pontiac to raise awareness about the project on international Go Skateboarding Day. The evening was full of music and skating in the West Alley in downtown Pontiac and kickstarted a week-long silent auction of custom-painted skateboard decks.

Up next is this year’s Phoenix Races on Friday, August 13th, another Dobrusin Law Firm-supported event. This year, the Phoenix Races are replacing derby cars with skateboards to bring further awareness to the Pontiac Skatepark Project.

For more information about the Pontiac Skatepark, including ways to donate, please visit the Project’s website and Instagram.