In December of 2023, Sunset Skatepark, the largest concrete skatepark in Indiana, opened to the public. Being asked to bring our grant writing skills and expertise to this project was such a cool feeling. Driving by the park and seeing the evidence of our hard work is such a joy, and it’s great to know that skaters now have a designated, safe place to skate. Located along Evansville’s riverfront corridor, adjacent to Mickey’s Kingdom community playground and the new Evansville Water Sewer Utility Pump Station campus, it makes a significant contribution to recent efforts to revitalize our riverfront.
After the skating community and community advocate Heather Vaught worked through all the proper channels of approval, Bolek Grant Writing came on board, working with the City of Evansville Dept. of Parks and Recreation and Heather Vaught to assist with funding.
Logic Model
First, Bolek helped develop a comprehensive logic model. This is the framework that shows how the project meets an unmet need and want in the community, and the many benefits it can have, like promoting outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyles, active living, skills development, and intergenerational connections (it’s hard to beat seeing parents teaching their kids a sport and skill they love).
Case Statement
After the logic model, we developed a comprehensive case statement (case for support) to tell how Sunset Skatepark came to be, how it’s important to our community and region, a project timeline for completion, and the project cost.
Grant Writing
Finally, we used these tools to help secure grant funding from the Tony Hawk Foundation (now The Skatepark Foundation) and Welborn Baptist Foundation.
This skatepark had been a vision of our community for a few years, so it was a true honor for Bolek to help bring that vision to reality for the youth and adults of the greater Evansville region and beyond.