On Saturday, August 30, 2008 the Naperville Police Department, Naperville Park District Police, and KidsMatter, formerly known as the Naperville Youth Coalition, hosted the fifth annual Skaters’ Picnic at the Centennial Beach Skate Park in downtown Naperville.
Skateboarders of all ages were invited to bring their skateboards to this wonderful community facility, socialize with members of the City and Park District Police Departments, and enjoy a free picnic lunch served by the Naperville Police Department and KidsMatter. Highlights of the event included a doughnut-eating contest between the Naperville Police Department and the skateboarders, free T-shirts for the first 200 skateboarders who attended, and an exciting raffle drawing. Naperville’s Mayor Pradel was on hand to meet residents and pass out raffle prizes to the lucky winners.
“This event provides a fun opportunity to let the skating youth of our community know that they are valued,” said Stacy Jones, communications manager for KidsMatter. “It also helps open up the lines of communication while enhancing relationships with Naperville’s skating youth.”
The Skaters’ Picnic was initiated by Commander Ken Parcel of the Naperville Police Department. Both the Police Department and KidsMatter believe in educating and encouraging adults to build Developmental Assets for and with Naperville’s youth. Developmental Assets are concrete positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people. These assets have the power to influence the choices young people make, particularly during critical adolescent years, to help them become healthy, caring, and responsible adults.
The Skaters’ Picnic was designed to help build the Developmental Asset of “Community Values Youth” among Naperville skateboarders as well as to promote the skate park as a healthy outlet for positive youth activity.
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