Trenton Sk8s GoFundMe Campaign - Help fund roller skating programs in Trenton, NJ

Gofundme:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/trentonsk8s

What is Trenton Sk8s?

Trenton Sk8s, founded in April 2022, is a growing community of roller skaters based in Trenton, NJ, offering free public skate events, a variety of skate classes and workshops. We strive to be an inclusive, welcoming space for skaters of all levels to feel like they have a home away from home!


When are your sessions?

From May through September, Trenton Sk8s hosts free adult skate sessions every Wednesday at the pavilion in Cadwalader Park. Our sessions run from 5:30pm to 8pm and feature a live DJ & potluck cookout. The events are for ages 18+ and all skaters must provide their own skates.


Do you offer classes?

Yes! We host weekly beginner roller skate classes, practice sessions & rhythm/dance skate workshops on Saturday evenings at 120 E State St in downtown Trenton. All classes are for ages 14+ and require students to provide their own skates.

For more info on our current classes, visit our Facebook group or Instagram page linked below.


Do you have any programming for kids?

That's a big part of our fundraiser! Trenton Sk8s is hoping to raise enough funds to add monthly family skate sessions to our calendar. We are currently in talks with the City of Trenton on how we can collaborate on such events. As funding comes in, be on the lookout for announcements!

We would also love to expand our class offerings to include free or low cost skate classes specifically for Trenton area elementary and high school age kids. Not only would this serve the local population in positive ways, but getting local youth on wheels will keep roller skating alive in Trenton for years to come!

If we can generate consistent funding, we also have dreams to acquire a fleet of roller skates in youth sizes where families who participate in our programs can be gifted skates for their kids. Once outgrown, the skates could be returned & exchanged for larger sizes.


Beyond just skating

In addition to serving the skate community, we do not take lightly the role we're playing in bringing new life to the city of Trenton. As our community of skaters has grown, more and more videos have circulated of our events & classes, drawing interest far and wide. In 2022 we had a visit from nj.com that landed us a feature story in The Star Ledger & The Times of Trenton with correlating documentary style video - This is the kind of positive press our state's capital needs, and we're proud to be a part of it!

Trenton Sk8s has also begun collaborating with the Trenton Eat Local initiative to plan non-skating related outings for members of our community. As we draw in more & more skaters and supporters from outside Trenton, we want our reach to have a positive impact on the local economy.


Why a GoFundMe?

The minimum operating cost for our spring/summer season of weekly adult skate events is roughly $2000. This ONLY covers the purchase of park permits & liability insurance. Thus far, all staff, including the DJs, are volunteers. In the past we’ve accepted donations at the events themselves, the funds collected just barely covering that $2000, leaving no money left to invest in other programming.

But we've got big dreams! And this is where you come in!

Trenton Sk8s is looking to raise a minimum of $7500

This will provide coverage for permits & insurance for our 2024 weekly spring/summer adult skate events
It will give us the ability to offer a weekly stipend to our DJs
It will provide the resources we need to continue our current weekly skate classes
It will allow us to begin hosting free monthly family skate events at the Cadwalader Park from now until September, in collaboration with the City of Trenton.

If we surpass our goal we can work towards:

Launching a youth skate program offering either free or low cost classes
Having a budget for expenses like having better signage printed
Having the necessary overhead to consider partnerships with other organizations that have asked us to collaborate

And finally, if we're able to generate a steady stream of funding we can:

Acquire a fleet of loaner skates in youth sizes where families who participate in our programs can use skates until outgrown and then exchange them for larger sizes
Form a Trenton Sk8s outreach team to perform at schools, festivals, neighborhood block parties & more, introducing skating into the mainstream, and educating on its benefits for both physical & mental health

It's not hard to dream up ways for Trenton Sk8s to serve our expanding community and we are beyond excited to make it happen! Thanks in advance to our skate family, friends, & supporters both locally and afar- We appreciate you more than you know and look forward to sharing all of the exciting things we have in the works!

You can find Trenton Sk8s on both Facebook & Instagram for up-to-date news!

Facebook:   / trentonsk8s  
Instagram: @trentonsk8s
Questions: [email protected]