By Will Westmoreland

The Oxford Skateboarding Association (OSA), a local nonprofit dedicated to
spreading the word about the benefits of skateboarding, held its annual Earth Day park
clean-up on April 22, 2023.  Dozens of people including supporters, volunteers, and OSA members turned
out to freshen up the grounds and participate in other activities.

Aside from revitalization efforts, activities for the yearly, kid-friendly event included
skate-related contests and races, construction of new topological features like ramps
and banks, and fundraising, achieved this year by raffling off over $500 worth of
equipment donated by different sponsors, including the Oxford Home Depot, which
supplied wood for the bank and marked the second consecutive year they’ve supported
the event.

Other sponsors included local businesses Highpoint Coffee and Oxsicles
Popsicles, Tupelo’s Change Skateshop, along with Satori Wheels and Thunder Trucks.
All sponsors donated skating equipment and/or building materials. A separate
nonprofit called Skatepark Respect out of Oceanside, California sent cleaning supplies,
including trash bags that utilized to collect and recycle multiple pounds of bottles and
cans at the event’s end.

Also featured during the event were two different Best Trick contests and a race
along an elaborate chalk-marked route traced out by organizers. Participants emerged
smiling and sweaty, and an OSA representative interviewed commented on how much
fun those who came out seemed to have.

Aside from aesthetics, the clean-up is necessary  because in
spring and summer, leaves, grass and trash tend to gather at the base of the park’s
bowl. OSA was pleased by this year’s turnout, and especially the effects that the
fundraising and clean-up efforts had in aiding public awareness and beautification.

Skateboarding is an intense form of exercise for anyone who does it, the source
reported, a great way to stay in shape, but the benefits don’t end there. It’s a fun way
for young people to get physcially engaged and become a part of a close-knit group of
positive, community-oriented locals. Efforts to revitalize and expand the Oxford
Skatepark continue and more events are planned, for which updates will be provided.