Years ago, AMOS initiated conversations with families about what was needed for local youth. The answer that emerged was surprising: a large, well-developed skate park that could provide multiple outdoor recreational activities. For years, skateboarders had turned a public plaza into an ad hoc skatevpark, sometimes — to the consternation of police and adults — turning sculptures and handrails into skateboard ramps. AMOS leaders identified a location in Des Moines and leveraged resources for the park design -- which, when built, will be one of the largest in the United States.
The $3.5 Million skate park is now $1 Million closer to construction, thanks to the generosity of a local family foundation. AMOS celebrated the advance in a press conference, and expects the project to break ground in early 2019.
Des Moines Regional Skatepark is Becoming 'a Reality', Des Moines Register
Lauridsen's $1 Million Donation Lifts Skate Park Campaign, Business Record