Build a Skatepark in Bridgewater Tsp, Somerset NJ

My name is Jennifer Loughran. With the help of so many people, I started a skateboarding program in Bridgewater, NJ called BR Skateboarding on the tennis courts of Alfred Brown Park. I am asking for your support in our efforts to build a skatepark inspired public plaza. I grew up here and witnessed for decades how every local skate spot has been taken away, torn down, and repurposed. But skateboarding has not gone away and is not only here to stay, It is global. As one of the cheapest, most accessible activities, skateboarding attracts the most diverse and inclusive audience. So it's time to drop the skepticism. Kids and young people shouldn't have to be kicked to the streets. Skateboarding is the quintessential American dream that has become an international pastime and an Olympic sport and deserves to be taken seriously.

How Skateparks Help the Whole Community

Skateparks are often designed like a plaza. They attract more than just skateboarders like scooters, bikes, rollerskaters, inline, parkour and fitness enthusiasts. Kids can be seen running up and sliding down ramps in the morning, while a senior might sit down on a bench for a while to watch young people do their thing.

Meaningful recreation programs, volunteerism and employment

Local skate programs create opportunities for young people and adults whether they want to learn, volunteer or pursue jobs through mentorship programs and park stewardship.

Zack from BR Skateboarding runs a recreational program on tennis courts.

Addressing the social, emotional, and physical well-being of children and young adults

Skateboarding and similar action sports are universally accessible to the broadest socioeconomic audiences. There are no registration fees, no uniform costs, and no pay-to-play fees like in traditional sports. It is not expensive to learn and generally nothing to participate in once you own a board and helmet.

You don’t need a team, an opponent, or a referee. But you are not alone either because the local community that holistically gathers in mix use spaces expands regionally and even further.

Skateparks in Floodplains

Many of Somerset County's parks are in flood-prone areas. The Raritan River has demonstrated its fierceness and the destruction it can inflict.

In 2020 FEMA awarded its first Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Arts in Mitigation Fund to a skatepark-inspired mix-use recreation project in Colorado that encourages multiple uses for the facility and solves the natural flooding hazard risk in that particular area.

Help us unite the community and support building a skatepark-inspired public plaza in Bridgewater. Your donations are a charitable contribution to BR Foundations, a 501c3 Non Profit committed to funding projects that enhance local parks and public spaces through community-driven fundraising and volunteerism. Direct donations are gratefully accepted on the websiteor by contacting [email redacted].

Thank you for stopping by and checking out our Skatepark initiative. We are counting on your support to help us build this sustainable recreational facility.