Summer 2018 will close out in Shepard Park with burgers on the grill and PJ Duo on the stage. Lake George High School students, led by junior Devin Belonga, will hold a fundraiser in Shepard Park this Friday, Sept. 21, 4 – 8 p.m. The event kicks off an effort to construct a Parkour Park at the Lake George Recreation Center.
Parkour Parks are obstacle courses like those used by the military for training. They require that users run, climb, vault, roll and crawl through a series of features to complete the course. Parkour, from the French parcours, has been called the “art of movement” by practitioners. Proponents of the Parkour discipline claim the activity builds strength, balance and agility and promotes mental resiliency and problem-solving skills as individuals engage with their environment and use natural movements to achieve goals.
“Devin approached the Village about one year ago and had this dream of such a park in Lake George,” says Mayor Blais in a press statement. “Much like the way the Village’s popular skate park began, we have challenged the young people to raise the funds and we will match.” Construction costs will depend on the complexity of the course and may range from $25,000 to more than $100,000.
Lake George students took up a similar challenge more than 10 years ago when seeking to build a skateboard park. After a decade of spaghetti dinners, coin drops and charity golf tournaments, the Lake George Skate Plaza opened in Wood Park.
Friday’s fundraiser will include grilled hamburgers, raffles, door prizes, games and souvenir t-shirts. Live music will be provided by PJ Duo, the group voted “Best Local Live Band” in the Post Star’s 2018 Reader’s Choice Awards. The event is free to attend.
This article had been corrected to properly identify Devin Belonga as a high school junior.
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