Parents who show a genuine interest in their children’s activities are a special breed these days.
A working mother who volunteers her precious nights and weekends to help raise $50,000 to build a place for her son to skate must be a saint.
But Sue Jones, of Oxford, doesn’t see herself that way. She’s just a concerned parent trying to help.
Jones is co-chair of fund-raising and secretary for the Oxford Ramp Park Committee, a local group working to build a place in Scripter Park where kids can enjoy skateboarding, in-line skating and free-style biking in a legal and safe atmosphere.
Her son, Kevin Jones, is a junior at Oxford High School and an avid in-line skater. ‘I want to help get him a safe place to go,? she said.
It was Kevin and his two friends, Brandon White and Justin Clasman, who first approached the village council in December 2002 about building a ramp park, Jones said. At the time, the trio presented council with a petition supporting the ramp park idea signed by 210 middle and high school students
Jones believes a ramp park is needed to give kids something to do and a place to do it.
‘There’s nothing for the kids to do around here,? she said. ‘They’ve got the bowling alley and the theater, but neither one is a good place for them to be on a regular basis, all the time.?
A ramp park will give the kids a place to skate and bike that’s both safe and lawful, Jones said.
Right now, local kids are having ‘too many interactions with the police for skating where they shouldn’t be,? she said.
Currently, the Ramp Park Committee has raised ‘just under $4,000? for the project, according to Jones.
The committee’s goal is to raise at least $50,000 ? the amount needed to provide a 25 percent match for a $200,000 state Department of Natural Resources grant which the village has applied for.
‘I’d like to raise the $50,000 by the end of the year,? said Jones, ‘so we can break ground (on the ramp park) next spring. That’s my goal.?
Jones has worked hard toward that goal. Every single Thursday evening this summer she’s manned a booth at Concerts in Centennial Park, selling hats and T-shirts bearing the ramp park logo (for $10 each), and raffle tickets to raise money for the project.
Even when inclement weather moved concerts to the old fire hall, Jones was there drumming up support for the ramp park.
Celebrate Oxford provided the committee with its biggest infusion of cash to date as approximately $1,100 was raised between Aug. 6 and 7.
‘The response has been great,? she said.
Jones is excited about a new fund-raiser for ramp park involving Summit Sports, a chain of new and used sports equipment stores.
From now until December 31, Summit Sports customers who mention the Oxford ramp park can have five percent of their purchase donated to the project.
The nearest Summit Sports is located at the Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills.
Summit Sports is also located in Waterford, Rochester Hills, Farmington Hills, Birch Run, Keego Harbor, and Brighton.
Jones said the five-percent donation program is available at all Summit Sports stores.
The Ramp Park Committee is planning to host its own used sports equipment sale ‘sometime in October? at the old fire hall on W. Burdick St., behind the municipal offices.
It’s basically an opportunity to donate and purchase used sports equipment with all the proceeds going toward the ramp park project, said Jones, noting it was Oxford Village Police Chief Mike Neymanowski’s idea.