Sweet because a two-year-long project was complete. Bitter because his son was not among hundreds of skateboarders who broke in the Reid Menzer Memorial SkatePark.
Before the ribbon was cut and the top-of-the-line concrete outdoor park was officially opened, Eric Menzer said he and his wife, Kendell, and daughter Frances would rather not be there, meaning he wished Reid was there and that the park was not a memorial.
He asked the crowd -- the kids, teens, adults -- to share in a moment of silence in recognition of Reid, who died Jan. 22, 2006. The 14-year-old eighth-grader at York Catholic High School was riding a street luge, which is similar to a skateboard but longer, when he was
His friends, fellow skaters and family decided to build a skate park in his honor. He'd often told his father that York should have a skate park, a place where likeminded people could learn, practice and excel at their sport. The city donated property; numerous others donated time, services and money to build the park.
There are no fees, no fences and no run-ins with police or property owners as long as all respect the park.
Thanks to all: Eric Menzer stood in front of the crowd thanking donors,
workers, volunteers and vendors who'd helped the idea become reality. Skaters, designers, builders, concrete men and community activists pitched in to build the concrete park, which thus far has cost about $400,000.
Attendees applauded Menzer; some clapped, others hit skateboards on concrete. The park, after all, is theirs. They are responsible for themselves, for garbage and for each other, the old looking after the young.
They are tasked with keeping noise to a low roar as not to disturb neighbors. They also must respect posted park hours and rules that include no smoking, alcoholic beverages, profanity or fighting.
Josh Munson, 16, and John Evin Groom, 15, both of Spring Garden Township, filmed and photographed the opening day ceremony to post online. Munson said he's kept tabs on the project since the beginning. Neither of the teens knew Reid, but they said they believe his fellow skateboarders will step up and do their part in care of the park.
They listened to Eric Menzer, to city officials and builders who spoke during the ceremony. Josh and John said the park is a big deal, that there's nothing like it within miles. They said skaters would come from Baltimore, Harrisburg and Lancaster.
Passion for sport: "What he's doing benefits so many, he's helped so many," Josh said about Eric Menzer. "People should remember that (skateboarding) is more than a piece of wood with wheels. We have a passion for this, just like anyone who loves any other sport."
He added that he respects Menzer for the effort and also for the pain that comes on days like Sunday when his son wasn't there to enjoy the work.
"If it were me, I don't know," Josh said. "He's just a really strong man."
After the ceremony, after the ribbon was cut and skaters rolled and walked into the park, Menzer talked briefly. He said this is the only kind of memorial to his son he could've been involved in.
"I had no interest in (erecting) a sign," Menzer said. "This is safe, and it's legal. Kids don't have to go onto the streets or on private property or in parking lots." York Daily Record
5/12/07
Skate park to open
It will memorialize Reid Menzer, who died in 2006 while street lugeing.
By MIKE ARGENTO —
Groundbreaking for the Reid Menzer Memorial Skate Park will be June 2 during what has been billed as the largest skateboarding event York has ever seen. The event, at the skate park site in York's Memorial Park, is also intended to raise money to help pay for construction of the 23,000-square-foot park.
So far, organizers have raised almost $245,000 toward the $334,000 cost of the park. "It's pretty thrilling, obviously," said Eric Menzer, Reid's father and a vice president with Wagman Construction. "There's a lot more work to do, but we're clearly at the point where we'll be able to make it happen."
The park is intended to memorialize Menzer's 14-year-old son, Reid, who was killed in a street luge crash in January 2006. Reid loved skateboarding, and in addition to being a tribute to his memory, developers of the park hope it will give skateboarders a place to practice their hobby safely.
Menzer said fundraising for the park has been going well. "I'm overwhelmed to see the way people have responded."Contributions have ranged from $15,000 donations to $5 purchases of memorial wristbands. Students at Hannah Penn Middle School had a dress-down day fundraiser. Other students have put on band concerts and conducted candy sales to raise money. The skate park even received a $10,000 donation from Tony Hawk, perhaps the most famous professional skateboarder in the world.
The event, which runs noon to 6 p.m., will feature four bands, skateboarding demonstrations, art displays, a raffle and an auction that will include skateboards, tattoos and a signed poster from Hawk. Admission is $5. Menzer said the park - to be constructed, in part, by California Skateparks - should be finished by the end of the summer.
York Daily Record
01/27/2007
Icon donates money to park
Skateboarding's Tony Hawk gave $10,000 to the Reid Menzer Memorial Skate Park.
By TED CZECH
Fundraising for the Reid Menzer Memorial Skate Park has reached the two-thirds mark and recently received help from a skateboarding icon.
Last month, skateboarding pro Tony Hawk's foundation donated $10,000 to the project to build a skate park in honor of 14-year-old Reid Menzer, who died a year ago in a street luge crash. "It moves us closer to our goal. ... I also think in some way it's validation for our project," said Eric Menzer, Reid's father.
Eric Menzer said the project's budget is set for $334,000, and so far, they have raised more than $200,000. Menzer said the foundation was looking for involvement from local skateboarders and success in fundraising. Eric Menzer said that project planners hope to launch a campaign soon to get in-kind donations for the park, like materials and construction services from local companies. Wagman Construction, of which Eric Menzer is vice president, will be donating all of the construction management work, he said.
He said ground will be broken on the 23,000-square-foot park during the summer.
Eric Menzer said planning the park has been an eye-opening experience for him. He's learned there are legions of skateboarders in York County. "They're skating illegally because there's nowhere else to do it," he said. "At least half of the people who come to these meetings are adults who skateboard." The park will not only be a tribute to his son, but also might help prevent other skateboarding-related deaths from occurring, he said.
September 25, 2006
Skatepark organizers seek input
City facility to be built in memory of teen killed in January
Daina Klimans
The joys of grinding a handrail versus the thrill of dipping a skateboard into a deep bowl and coming out on the other side -- they will all be up for debate. Skateboarders of all ages are invited to give their input on a York City skatepark. At a design meeting to be held Wednesday, skaters such as 16-year-old Matt Devlin will help decide whether the park will look like a city street, an otherworldly landscape of concrete dips and basins, or something in between. "I know a lot of people want street, but I think it would be cool to have a bowl," said Matt. He said he hopes a variety of designs can be worked together, giving all users the kind of place they want to skate.
In memoriam: The park is being built in memory of Matt's best friend, Reid Menzer, a York City boy who died in January at age 14. Reid had been riding a street luge, which is like a skateboard but ridden while lying down, when he was hit by a car. Reid, an avid skateboarder, had complained for years that the city did not have a skatepark. His death spurred family, friends and strangers to work together to build the park that he had wanted, for the benefit of other skateboard lovers. The concrete skatepark, to be built at the city's Veterans Memorial Park, will be funded entirely through private donations. Designing it will be the Site Design Group Inc. of Tempe, Ariz., which has been involved in the creation of more than 80 skateparks, most of them on the West Coast. A representative of Site Design Group will survey skaters to find out what type of landscape they want to skate in and what kind of props they want for their tricks -- "if they want the stairs, the handrails, the quarter pipes," said Brad Siedlecki, designer and project manager for the company.
$65,000 in the bank: After Wednesday's meeting, the company will put together a few potential designs. Those will be presented at a second meeting, at which skateboarders will get to choose which they like best and give suggestions to make it even better, Siedlecki said. Skatepark construction could begin next year, and fund raising for the project continues. A benefit concert last weekend raised almost $2,400 toward the park, said Rob Koller, who has been involved in project fund raising. Yet though more than $65,000 has been raised toward the park's estimated $150,000 price tag in the months since the project began, Koller said he expects fund raising to become more difficult in the future. "We picked the low fruits, but I'm sure we'll work for the additional ones," Koller said. The effort will come from a devoted group. Matt Devlin and others involved in the efforts are not enjoying the new experiences that come with the work, but they are inspired by the reason behind it all. "I'm willing to do that because it's all for Reid," Matt said. "So no matter how hard the work gets, it's all worth it." The public design meeting is to be held Wednesday in the second floor community room of the Memorial Park Ice Rink at 900 S. Vander Ave. The meeting is set to begin at 7 p.m. and scheduled to last until 9 p.m.
York Daily Record
June 1, 2006
Concert in memory of Reid
Friends of the teen are raising money for a skate park
Jun 1, 2006 — Reid Menzer loved to skate, but because York is sans skate park, getting one built was something he always talked about. Reid was struck by a car while riding a street luge in York on Jan. 22. Since Reid's death, his friends have been planning fundraisers and benefits to make his words a reality. "It's going to cost a lot of money," Matt Devlin said, "but it would be a great memorial to him. He was a great guy." Matt, 15, is a freshman at York Catholic and was a good friend of Reid's. Matt said Reid met a professional longboarder and wanted to have a demo of the sport in York. After Reid died, Matt contacted the longboarder. Even though the demo didn't pan out, a benefit concert took its place. Matt and many of Reid's other friends and family members have put in many hours to organize the event that will boast plenty of food and raffles for skaters and nonskaters alike. "The bands are a real big variety," Matt said. "Each has their own style." The event is free, but Matt and the team of people who organized the event are banking on food sales (Subway, Domino's and Rita's), raffle tickets and donations to boost the bank toward Reid's skate park. There are two types of raffles one for skaters and one for nonskaters. There are skate decks, skate wheels and T-shirts for the skate-savvy guests and gift certificates for the friends of the skaters. As for the skate park, the vision is still just a vision. "There are a few proposed sites," he said. "It will take a little while. Maybe one to four years." In the meantime, Matt and his friends will continue to get together with music, skateboarding and companionship to keep Reid's memory alive because those were the things he loved. NICKI LEFEVER
The line up Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Autumn's Rising 12:45 to 1:15 p.m.: Handwritten Ammunition 1:30 to 2 p.m.: Crunk Alms & Co. 3 to 3:30 p.m.: 27 Lights 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.: Pandora's Musicbox 4:30 to 5 p.m.: Kingsfoil
