Tony Hawk on board for skate park fundraiser

It may be a tough ticket in these tough economic times, but Saturday's Stand Up For Skate Parks event in the amphitheater at Red Rock Resort will help ensure that kids in need have a little something extra to keep them busy.

Premier retired skateboarder Tony Hawk and other skaters will perform, along with singer-songwriter Ben Harper. The day also will include interactive activities, games, food and live and silent auctions.

Hawk said the idea is to enable underserved segments of the community to have their own skate parks.

"There is as much interest in skateboarding as there is in traditional sports, and the kids who choose to do it don't have much support," Hawk said. "They don't have facilities. It's not really encouraged by communities -- if nothing else, they're told not to skate in public areas. It doesn't give them any sense of self-confidence. If anything, it might encourage them to do something more subversive and harmful."

Occupying them with something positive is the aim.

"Once you have the facilities, it definitely keeps them busy and keeps them happy," Hawk said. "It keeps them feeling like their community cares for them. Skate parks are used from sunup to sundown. They're always crowded -- even the ones that aren't run that good."

And well-conceived skate parks, designed with the input of the skaters and the community, are what the Tony Hawk Foundation encourages. Hawk said he leaves it to the community to involve the skaters and design the skate park. He provides guidance when needed, so that the park has something for various skill levels.

"We try to fund it, but if they're not that far along, we give them direction," he said. "We're a center for information and resources as well as a foundation that funds projects."

Hawk said Saturday's event will be "family-centric, sort of an action-sports carnival." It's a ticketed event, but some tickets still were available at press time.

Hawk said he started the foundation because as more skate parks were being built, he saw a disconnect between them and the skaters.

"The cities would just hire the cheapest sidewalk contractors," he said. "I wanted to change that cycle, but I also wanted to guide the funding to areas that are more needy."

Two of the three parks proposed for Las Vegas are at Freedom Park at Mojave Road and Washington Avenue and Rotary Park near Charleston and Valley View boulevards.

Hawk said he grew up near a great skate park in the Del Mar section of San Diego.

"I knew I was lucky, and so when I got in a position to really make a difference and have a voice, I wanted to provide the same opportunity to kids all over the United States."

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.