The Sooke Bike Club is holding a fundraiser event for the upcoming Bike Skills Park on June 30 at Edward Milne Community School from 7-9 p.m.
The group hopes to raise $4,000 to go towards the park, which will be built in the top quarter of John Phillips Memorial Park between Tara Road and Townsend Road in a 1.8 hectare space.
Among the activities will be the non-profit’s annual general meeting, and film festival featuring locally made short films — a majority of which were shot in Sooke.
Throughout the evening, donations will be collected and tickets will be sold for draw prizes.
The Bike Skills Park, which was approved by council unanimously on May 26, will be funded solely on cash and in-kind donations.
So far costs include $1,500 to $2,000 per year for insurance and $3,600 for preliminary design work. Future costs include supplies and builders.
All donations large or small are appreciated, but “sweat equity,” or volunteer help from the community is also needed, said Lorien Arnold, owner of Sooke Mountain Cycle and founder of the Sooke Bike Club.
“We’re all working together to provide an amenity for the next generations to come.”
The public will also receive an insider’s look at the park’s design created by Alpine Bike Parks. The club is hoping residents will share their input, feedback and concerns regarding the plan.
“We’re going to unveil the preliminary design at the film festival so people will actually be able to see what we are proposing,” Arnold said.
“What we’re hoping is we’ll get a lot of enthusiasts there. Kids and mountain bikers from all over the Island and residents of Sooke who may be concerned about the park.”
The vision for the park includes flow form biking structures, a kiddie park for children, and a dual slalom course — a downhill slope track with jumps and turns.
We have a potential of building a world class venue, Arnold said.
The park will mainly be dirt based and is supported by the Parks and Trails Master Plan 2009.
The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.
The project is a partnership between Sooke Slow Food Cycle and the Sooke Bike Club. As the license holder, the bike club will take care of insurance and will work with staff to ensure safety requirements and an acceptable plan for ongoing maintenance is developed.
