(Washington, DC) DC Parks and Recreation, ESKAL8-KaBOOM!, and American Eagle Outfitters Foundation will build the first public, free skate park in Washington.  

The event will take place from 8 am to 4:30 pm, September 20 at 11th and Rhode Island Ave., NW in the Shaw neighborhood.

This collaborative effort serves as another result of the ongoing partnership between the department and KaBOOM!, a non-profit organization that develops, manages and coordinates playground-building efforts in Washington.

“This park will deliver new recreational experiences to our young citizens,” DPR Director Neil O. Albert said. “Youth in the community will be able to see how the process works from the ground up. I am happy to say that this park is open to all who wish to use it.”

Currently there are fewer than 1,000 public and private skate parks in the US to serve more than 13 million skateboarders and other action sport participants.  The American Eagle Outfitter Foundation’s AE Ride initiative supports ESKAL8, the national skate park program powered by KaBOOM!, in bringing quality skate parks to American teens.  Through community-build skate park construction projects and challenge grants, AE Ride engages thousands of young adults in meeting the demand for places for people to safely skateboard, in-line skate and BMX bike.