Rebecca Munnerlyn, president of the Rosewood Community Council; Ryan Cockrell, Pour It Now; Councilwoman Belinda Gergel, District III; City of Columbia assistant city manager Allison Baker; kids from the surrounding neighborhood and others break ground on the new custom concrete skateboard park at Owens Field. The City of Columbia broke ground on the first custom concrete skateboard park in South Carolina Monday, August 31, 2009, at Owens Field near the Richland One track and field and former skate park area. Those present at the groundbreaking were Columbia Mayor Bob Coble; City Councilmember Belinda Gergel; former Councilmember Anne Sinclair; Ryan Cockrell, executive director of Pour It Now; Wally Holliday, 37- veteran skateboard park builder; S. Allison Baker, director of Parks and Recreation; Damon McDuffie, deputy director of Operations for Parks and Recreation; and plenty of skateboarders and skaters.

Construction is now underway for the 15,000 square foot state of the art concrete skate park facility - a hot spot for skateboarders and skaters to test their skills. The community and skating enthusiasts through Pour It Now had input into the design process since the demolition of the old skate park in April 2007.

The skate park is another way Parks and Recreation hopes to help keep youth off the streets and involved in a recreational activity.

POUR IT NOW received the highly competitive Tony Hawk Grant in the amount of $25,000 towards construction of the skate park. For grant information contact Ryan Cockrell at 310.927.5515 or email pouritnow@gmail.com or visit www.pouritnow.com.