ELLICOTTVILLE — The Ellicottville Skatepark Committee (SK8EVL) and the village of Ellicottville in Cattaraugus County have been awarded a $300,000 Built to Play Skatepark Grant to help develop a public skatepark.

SK8EVL has long been advocating for the public skatepark project.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with the Tony Hawk Foundation to bring a skatepark to our community,” said Brenda Perks, lead skatepark advocate in a news release. “Having this type of facility in Ellicottville, one that is open to the public and free to use, will give our youth a place to go where they can be active and express themselves through the sport of skateboarding.”

Perks, other SK8EVL members, and supporters of the skatepark will be presenting to the Ellicottville Village Board on Monday at 6 p.m. The presentation will include the official announcement of the Built to Play Skatepark Grant award, and a discussion regarding next steps and timelines for the project. The public is welcome to attend the meeting, which will be held at the Ellicottville Village Hall, 1 W. Washington St.

“Having this grant will help a dream come true for our community,” said John Burrell, Ellicottville mayor. “We are so fortunate and we look forward to creating a skatepark within our Village Park, which not only serves our full-time residents and part-time residents, but also serves many nearby communities.”

Built to Play Skatepark Grants are offered through a partnership between the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Tony Hawk Foundation. The grant initiative offers matching-grant funds of up to $250,000. The Built to Play Skatepark Program supports community groups and municipal entities throughout Western New York and southeast Michigan that are seeking to create free, public skateparks that serve low-income communities.

An Ellicottville Skatepark Fund has been established with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation to help raise the donations needed for the required match. Those wishing to donate directly to the fund can do so through their secured website, cattfoundation.org. Or you can access the link through the Ellicottville Skatepark Project’s website, sk8evl.com.