SKATE PARK DREAM FOR PORT ALFRED BECOMES A REALITY
NCAL, surf school operator ‘make it happen’ for youth
ANUMBER of happy coincidences and disparate interests have come together to create a marvellous opportunity for bringing the youth of Port Alfred together in a safe place – a six-ramp skate park – the only one of its kind in the Eastern Cape.
It all began when local surf school operator David Macgregor left his journalist job to become more involved in surfing and skating, and built a half-pipe in his yard for his son Kye.
He had been an admirer of the work done by Jan Blom and his organisation Nemato Change a Life (NCAL) which uses sports like handball, rowing, fencing and gymnastics to provide opportunities for underprivileged kids from the townships to develop their talent and ability.
The organisation is run by members who have been through the programme. Blom said NCAL has worked with about 100 people so far – changing lives, and recently a young man from the township named Odwa Ntamo, was given a rowing scholarship to study at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth.
Macgregor suggested that surfing and skateboarding be added to the organisation’s interests, and Blom brought some of the NCAL kids to try out the half-pipe at the Macgregor residence.
Last Wednesday, Blom and MacGregor began a Facebook campaign to raise funds for the skate park, but things were a bit slow and they only had R100 in their bank account when Macgregor went to sleep on Friday night.
Meanwhile Zwelinzima Nkwinti, who is involved in sports tourism, suggested to Macgregor that he contact Martin Bekker, owner of the Royal St Andrews Hotel and main sponsor of the Amanzi Festival.
On Saturday morning, Macgregor awoke to find an SMS on his phone confirming receipt of R100000. At first he could not believe it, but underneath the receipt Bekker had written, “Make it happen”.
Another keen surfer and skateboard activist who brings his family on holiday but no longer lives in Port Alfred, Chris Stylianou, also came on board when he brought his kids to skate at Macgregor’s residence. Stylianou runs an organisation called TopGroms promoting skateboarding, and his children have won various skateboarding awards.
Stylianou knew of a skate park for sale in George. The owner was retiring and planning to sell the equipment for scrap until Stylianou told him about NCAL and he offered to sell it for R72 000. The equipment is currently being transported to Port Alfred.
Meanwhile, the mayor has also come on board and will shortly be announcing the site where the skate park is to be set up to be run by NCAL.
Anyone interested in donating funds to the project, can contact Blom on 073-505-9168.
“We can send you tax certificates so you can deduct your donations from tax,” said Blom.
People can also contact Dave Macgregor on 082-335-4764 if they wish to get involved by donating skateboarding equipment, or their time, energy and enthusiasm, as the site for the skate park will require tarring and levelling and the storage buildings will require cleaning and painting in the near future.