(Bay 3 Indoor Skatepark/Facebook)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Bay 3 in need of donations as they gear up for fall programming

Sep 28, 2020 | 4:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- Skateboarders looking to escape the cold will be able to skate at Bay 3, the city’s indoor skate park come the middle of October, but the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association says they are still in need of donations.

Terence Kowalchuk says Bay 3, like many places, was hit hard by the pandemic when they were forced to close. Tim Hortons in Medicine Hat and Eagles Nest Ranch currently helps provide and fund the space, but with the Skateboard Association’s main revenue stream being skate schools drying up due to the pandemic, the need for funds still exists.

“Things like our insurance for example, you know almost $600 a month, those bills never stop right through COVID-19 and through the summer so you know from a financial point of view, it’s been a bit of a challenging season. So that’s where we are kind of in the process of trying to raise some funds and raise some awareness,” Kowalchuk said.

Bay 3 opened up last year, and provides a safe space for over 100 people, predominantly youth to skate. Aside from a place to practice some tricks, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association also strives to create a community, something they say is all the more critical.

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“ I think right now especially in our community there is just a real need. There’s a need for venues to just keep kids active, and to build community and to build opportunity for kids to be together,” said Kowalchuk.

To help raise some funds, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association will be at Kinsmen Skate Plaza at Kin Coulee Park from 5 p.m. to 8p.m. Pickups for bottle donations can also be arranged by messaging the skateboard association on Facebook. Proceeds from the event will also benefit Carson’s Army, an organization raising funds for 13-year-old Carson and his battle with cancer.