Ahousaht skatepark goes ahead thanks to donations
People give thanks to the community for saving victims of a whale watching accident this fall
In a matter of weeks more than $20,000 has been a raised to build a skateboard park for kids in the remote community of Ahousaht.
The campaign started last month when the Vancouver company Landyachtz donated skateboards and realized kids in Ahousaht First Nation only had one paved road on which to ride them.
But the skatepark fundraiser got a real boost when a survivor of the October whale watching accident off Tofino caught wind of the campaign.
- Leviathan II whale-watching survivors plan special thank you for Ahousaht rescuers
- Landyachtz fundraising for kids skatepark in isolated Ahousaht, B.C.
Dwayne Mazereeuw and his wife were among 21 people on board the Leviathan II who were rescued by people from Ahousaht. Five British nationals and a man from Australia died in the accident.
Mazereeuw also happens to build skateparks for a living, and when he shared his story with CBC News, donations for the skatepark poured in, said Grant Shilling with Get On Board, one of the groups helping with the fundraising.
"I really feel like we are just giving a thank you, a love letter that's sent back to Ahousaht to thank them for their role in things," he said.
Ahousaht is located on Flores Island, a 45-minute boat ride north of Tofino, B.C. and is home to about 900 people. But the isolation has contributed to some social issues — including a number of suicides or attempted suicides over the years.
Ahousaht Deputy Chief Lindsay Campbell said kids can`t wait for construction to start.
"It's amazing to see how quickly this has come along," she said. "I don't think any of us anticipated all the money to be raised within three weeks."
The community of Ahousaht is putting $10,000 towards the project, and Landyachtz has promised to donate another $10,000.
Combined with the $20,000 donated through online fundraising, there's enough money to get started, said Mike Perreten, co-owner of Landyachtz.
"With what has happened, how the story and the campaign has just gained so much momentum, we reached the goal right away. It's fantastic," Perreten said.