By Peter Lyons Hall
On Sunday September 10th 2023, from 9:00am – 12:00pm GWL Skatepark Corp. hosted its first “Do It For Dale!” 5K Run/Walk which began at Thomas P. Morahan Waterfront Park and took participants throughout the Village of Greenwood Lake, New York.
The race is named after Dale Hirrel, a tall 16-year-old sophomore and an avid camper and skateboard enthusiast, who was killed in a tragic car accident in May, 2016 while returning home after junior prom, over seven years ago. Working in partnership with the Village of Greenwood Lake and Super Race Systems, a professional race organizer, the event was open to both professional and fun runners/walkers.
All 150 participating runners received a commemorative t-shirt, race bib and timing device with their registration. All profits from the race will be donated to the GWL Skatepark Corporation a registered 501 (c) 3 charity in their continued efforts to raise the necessary funds to construct a professional concrete skatepark in the Village of Greenwood Lake which will benefit the local and surrounding communities.
Winning runners during Sunday’s event included women’s division Marisela Acevedo, who took 1st place with a time of 21:34. In the men’s division, Greyson Sladic took 1st place with a time of 19:56.
The skatepark initiative has attracted a number of prominent supporters who learned about Hirrel and his desire to have a local skatepark in the village. Tony Hawk, is an American retired professional skateboarder, entrepreneur and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documented “900” skateboarding trick in 1999. The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation) recognized GWL Skatepark Corp’s efforts and awarded it the Spring 2021 Project Recognition Grant! Numerous individuals and local businesses continue to donate toward the park’s financial objective.
This past Sunday, New York State Senator James Skoufis presented the group with a check for $120,000. The funds are from one of two NYS grants that the GWL Skatepark administrative team has been working tirelessly for in order to reach its construction goal of $400,000. To date the effort has raised $100,000 from grass-roots donors. With the additional grant funding from Sen. Skoufis and other initiatives, they have raised a total that is slightly over $300,000. In 2018, at the CVS Field (Ben Winstanley Park) on Windermere Avenue in Greenwood Lake, the GWL Skatepark Corp. officially designated the future site of the “GWL Skatepark – In Memory of Dale Hirrel” with a ribbon-cutting and unveiling of a sign on the site.
“We are excited that we are nearing the final stages of our initial fund-raising endeavor and, as we sometimes say, we can almost taste the concrete,” remarked Jonathan Sismey, the group’s sponsorship director. “We are grateful that our first 5K program drew so many participants and that the Greenwood Lake community’s response continues to be so supportive of activities and programs for families,” he added.
Skateparks build and sustain healthy communities, providing a safe and controlled environment for people of all ages and experience levels to practice the art of skateboarding, show off their skills and share tips and experiences with one another. For many skateboarding youth, the skatepark becomes a home-away-from-home. The GWL Skatepark group wants to acknowledge the efforts of sponsors who continue to support the fund-raising requirements of the project: Against The Grain, Bellvale Market, Cosmos Fresh Market, Crevina Landscaping, Cumberland Farms, Emerald Point, Greenwood Supply (True Value), Larry’s Deli, PBA, Shined Up, Shorei-Kan Karate, Taco Hombre, The Helm, The Rambling House, Total Accountability, Trails End Taphouse, Village Wine Company, Warwick Bed and Breakfast.
To learn more about the GWL Skatepark project and make a donation, click on http://gwlskatepark.com/support/#page and/or write to them at P.O. Box 145, Greenwood Lake, NY 10925.
