麻豆视频

An initiative that would see a new skateboard park built in Yorkton is through to the final round in the Aviva Community Fund Contest.

Aviva, an insurance company distributes $1 million to projects across Canada each year. A portion of the funding goes to applications made through agents like Farrell Agencies, which spearheaded a proposal asking for $150,000 through the Broker Supported Category to help fund a new park as part of the Brodie Street redevelopment. While the park is being termed a skateboard facility, it will be developed to allow for BMX bikes and rollerbladers, and the surrounding area will be a park for everyone's use.

The process for being one of the finalist projects to get funding included two rounds of online voting.

The semi-final round of voting ended Friday, with the Yorkton skateboard park making it through to the final round which will be decided by a panel of judges.

"Now we've got to cross our fingers and just hope the judges look favourably at our submission," said Dave Nussbaumer, the man at Farrell Agencies behind the original proposal.

Nussbaumer said getting through the voting round showed how the community came together in support of the project.

"Anytime you get into one of these contests you don't know if people are going to get on the bandwagon so to speak," he said.

Initially things didn't look so good.

"A few days into the semi finals we were behind," said Nussbaumer.

Then several local businesses came on board, Yorkton Concrete, Dairy Queen, Yorkton New Holland, the Yorkton Exhibition Association, Cornerstone Credit Union, Yorkton Business Improvement District, the City of Yorkton and Farrell Agencies donated money to fund an advertising campaign to get people voting.

"Once people started to understand what we were doing, you could see the momentum taking off," said Nussbaumer.

"Now that we're in I'm confident."

A video prepared as part of the project could be a big part in catching the judge's attention.

The production highlights Premier Brad Wall, Olympic gold medalist Joan McCusker, Mt. Everest climber Dave Rodney and National Hockey League player Jarret Stoll supporting the skateboard park with the song Forever Young playing in the background..

"When I first got that video in the office I choked up," said Nussbaumer, adding " one of the girls in the office cried."

The judges' decision on the final funding recipients will be announced Jan. 25, 2012.